diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-25 03:46:20 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-25 03:46:20 -0800 |
| commit | 1169039c3c4d357f321c919c22a40c827bc43da2 (patch) | |
| tree | 43c11b32a9b0611b8fdf317e6ba2166c787bb11f | |
| parent | 126ef73109a9da496e5bb46504d0109c0b9d0416 (diff) | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/69398-0.txt | 6206 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/69398-0.zip | bin | 103646 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/69398-h.zip | bin | 2039062 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/69398-h/69398-h.htm | 8401 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/69398-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 1586258 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/69398-h/images/coversmall.jpg | bin | 258245 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/69398-h/images/frontis.jpg | bin | 98326 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/69398-h/images/titlepage.jpg | bin | 63477 -> 0 bytes |
11 files changed, 17 insertions, 14607 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3c8d225 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69398 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69398) diff --git a/old/69398-0.txt b/old/69398-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index cde52db..0000000 --- a/old/69398-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6206 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Don Sturdy in the Tombs of Gold, by -Victor Appleton - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Don Sturdy in the Tombs of Gold - or The old Egyptian's great secret - -Author: Victor Appleton - -Illustrator: Walter S. Rogers - -Release Date: November 20, 2022 [eBook #69398] - -Language: English - -Produced by: David Edwards, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DON STURDY IN THE TOMBS OF -GOLD *** - - -[Illustration: “GET YOUR RIFLES READY,” COMMANDED THE CAPTAIN. - - _Don Sturdy in the Tombs of Gold._ _Page 132_] - - - - - DON STURDY IN THE - TOMBS OF GOLD - - OR - - The Old Egyptian’s Great Secret - - BY - VICTOR APPLETON - - AUTHOR OF “DON STURDY ON THE DESERT OF MYSTERY,” - “DON STURDY ACROSS THE NORTH POLE,” “TOM - SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER,” “TOM SWIFT - AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE,” ETC. - - _ILLUSTRATED BY_ - WALTER S. ROGERS - - NEW YORK - GROSSET & DUNLAP - PUBLISHERS - - Made in the United States of America - - - - -BOOKS FOR BOYS - -By VICTOR APPLETON - -12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. - -THE DON STURDY SERIES - - DON STURDY ON THE DESERT OF MYSTERY - DON STURDY WITH THE BIG SNAKE HUNTERS - DON STURDY IN THE TOMBS OF GOLD - DON STURDY ACROSS THE NORTH POLE - DON STURDY IN THE LAND OF VOLCANOES - -THE TOM SWIFT SERIES - - TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE - TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP - TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE - TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS - TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE - TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER - TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE - TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD - TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER - TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY - TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA - TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON - TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE - TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP - TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL - TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS - TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK - TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH - TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS - TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE - TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING BOAT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT OIL GUSHER - TOM SWIFT AND HIS CHEST OF SECRETS - - - GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK - - Copyright, 1925, by - GROSSET & DUNLAP - - Don Sturdy in the Tombs of Gold - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I A CALL FOR HELP 1 - - II LIKE A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE 10 - - III OFF FOR EGYPT 18 - - IV A PAIR OF SCOUNDRELS 27 - - V A VILLAINOUS PLOT 36 - - VI THE FIGHT IN THE DARK 46 - - VII ON THE TRAIL 63 - - VIII A LAND OF WONDERS 77 - - IX STARTLING NEWS 86 - - X IN GREAT DANGER 95 - - XI A DASH FOR LIBERTY 103 - - XII THE NIGHT PROWLER 115 - - XIII A DEADLY MENACE 127 - - XIV IN UTTER DARKNESS 138 - - XV A FRIGHTFUL APPARITION 144 - - XVI IN THE GRIP OF DOOM 149 - - XVII TRAPPED 155 - - XVIII A NIGHT OF HORROR 162 - - XIX THE MAN BY THE STREAM 168 - - XX A JOYFUL REUNION 177 - - XXI IN THE LABYRINTH 182 - - XXII A BEWILDERING EXPERIENCE 188 - - XXIII RICHES BEYOND PRICE 193 - - XXIV THE SLEEPWALKER 198 - - XXV VICTORY AGAINST ODDS 207 - - - - - DON STURDY IN THE - TOMBS OF GOLD - - - - -CHAPTER I - -A CALL FOR HELP - - -“Then, you think Dad really went to Egypt?” asked Don Sturdy, with -deep anxiety in his tone, as he stood beside the desk where his uncle, -Professor Bruce, was carefully looking over a mass of papers. - -“I’m inclined to think so, my boy,” replied the professor, as he sat -back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. “Everything -seems to point that way, though we haven’t a bit of positive proof. But -we know, at least, that the idea of going there was in his mind when -he rushed out of Clifton’s house in Brazil shouting that he must go to -Egypt.” - -“Still, that may have been the mere whim of a deranged mind, forgotten -almost as soon as the words were spoken,” put in Captain Frank Sturdy, -another of Don’s uncles, as he turned from the window through which he -had been looking. - -“True enough,” assented the professor. “But we know from what Ruth told -us that for weeks he had been talking about the Valley of the Kings -in Egypt. It was, I believe, a fixed idea that had taken possession -of him. And these papers I’ve been looking over explain why he was so -deeply interested in that country.” - -He picked up the heap of manuscript as he spoke, and selected some -papers from the mass. - -“There’s no collected story here,” he remarked; “simply a lot of -memoranda scribbled on whatever he had at hand, old telegraph blanks, -backs of envelopes, and the like. They bear upon a trip that Richard -took to Egypt several years ago. The magic of the country seems to have -captivated him. But there’s something more than the awakened interest -of a tourist in them. They’re aflame with the ardor of a discoverer. -He seems to have been right on the brink of some remarkable find--so -remarkable, in fact, that he feared to commit it to paper lest it -should get into hands for which it was not intended.” - -“I remember now,” broke in Captain Sturdy, “that when he got back from -that trip he seemed strangely excited. But I could never get much out -of him about it. He’d talk about it in a general way, but whenever it -came to details he’d change the subject. I gathered that he meant to -go back the next year, but the war came and that put an end to his -plans for the time.” - -“He seemed to have spent most of his time among the tombs,” resumed -the professor. “There is one he mentions that was fifty-two feet long, -thirty-one feet wide, the sides of which were entirely covered with -paintings, while the roof, twenty-four feet high, was adorned with a -hundred squares of over a dozen different designs. There’s a diagram of -it here.” - -“What do you gather from that?” asked the captain. - -“Nothing much in itself,” was the reply. “But at the end of the -description are the words: ‘This is not the one. Must look further.’ -And there are several other descriptions of tombs scattered through the -papers, each with this little note of disappointment at the end. It -seems clear to me that Richard was hunting eagerly for one particular -tomb and desperately anxious to find it.” - -“What for, do you suppose?” asked Don. - -“What he wanted to find it for or what he expected to find in it I -don’t know. It may have been gold or scarabs or alabaster vases or -amulets or any of the thousand things that make some of those tombs -veritable treasure houses. But whatever it was, his mind was centered -on it. It may have become a sort of obsession. Then, when his head -was hurt in that accident at the time of the shipwreck, that one -overpowering desire to get back to Egypt may have come to the front and -been too strong to be resisted.” - -“Even if he did go there,” said Don, in perplexity, “it’s strange that -nothing has been heard of him. He had to live somewhere, must have -registered at some hotel. Yet all the consuls in the various cities -have investigated and can find no traces of any one named Sturdy.” - -“He may have used some other name,” suggested the professor. “It’s -quite possible that he’d forgotten his own. Cases of amnesia are common -enough, when a man forgets all his past history, even his name.” - -“But if mother had been with him, she’d have set that all right,” -objected Don. - -“True enough,” replied the professor. “But how do we know that she was -with him? All we know is that she ran out after him into the night. We -cannot be sure that he didn’t elude her.” - -“Oh, shall we ever be able to solve the mystery?” cried Don, in -desperation. - -“Yes, we will,” declared the captain heartily, as he placed his hand -encouragingly on his nephew’s shoulder. “Keep up your heart, my boy. -Remember that we found your sister Ruth when we had almost given up -hope. And with heaven’s help we’ll find your father and mother too.” - -“To be sure we shall, even if we go to Egypt to do it,” chimed in the -professor. “We’ll rake that country with a fine-toothed comb before -we’ll give up and admit that we’re beaten.” - -The sound of the dinner bell broke up the conference, and Don hastened -to his room to wash and to brush his hair. - -They were served at table by Jennie Jenks, the maid of all work, who -in her flittings to and fro that afternoon had caught snatches of the -conversation and was bursting with the desire to impart it to Mrs. -Roscoe, the housekeeper of the Sturdy home. - -“I guess we kin say good-bye to Mister Don an’ his uncles,” she -remarked, in one of her migrations to the kitchen. “They’re all a goin’ -to the tomb.” - -Mrs. Roscoe was so startled that she nearly dropped the dish she was -carrying from the oven. - -“What do you mean?” she gasped. “Are they sick?” - -“You wouldn’t think so if you seen the way they was eatin’,” replied -Jennie, shifting her wad of chewing gum. “I mean they’re goin’ to them -Egypt tombs, where they’s alligaster vases an’ omelets an’ things like -that.” - -“Oh, you mean the tombs of the Pharaohs,” said the motherly -housekeeper, in great relief. “They’ve been dead a long time.” - -“Mebbe,” admitted Jennie. “Though I hadn’t even heard they was sick. -But it just beats all the way them men go trampin’ all over the earth -when they got a good home like this. Here they jest got back from -Brazil, an’ lucky they was not to be et up by golcondas or cannonballs, -an’ instead of settlin’ down, thankful like, they must be goin’ off -lickety-switch to another of them heathen places. Who knows what’ll -happen to ’em? Like as not Mister Don may fall down into one of them -Egypt tombs an’ be squashed.” - -“Oh, I guess not,” replied the housekeeper soothingly. “He’s been in a -good many tight places and has come through all right.” - -“Yes,” admitted Jennie. “But the picture that goes to the well too -often is broke at last. An’ it jest makes my blood creep to think of -them goin’ to that Egypt place, where all them plagues used to be.” - -“That was a long time ago,” remarked the housekeeper. “I guess it’s all -right now.” - -“I don’t know,” said Jennie, renewing her attack on her chewing gum -more vigorously and shaking her head. “From all I’ve heard, them -Egyptians ain’t any better than they ort to be.” - -“Who is?” asked Mrs. Roscoe mildly. - -“A feller took me to a movie once that showed all ’bout Egypt,” went -on Jennie, ignoring the question. “The big buildings was so dark an’ -gloomy they give me the shivers. I ast the feller why they didn’t have -electric lights, an’ he tole me that they didn’t need electric lights -coz they had so many Israelites. I ast him what they had to do with it, -an’ he only laughed an’ said he loved every bone in my head.” - -“He had a lot to love, then,” put in Mrs. Roscoe dryly. - -“An’ they was a picture of the ocean,” Jennie continued, oblivious of -the sarcasm, “an’ the feller that was with me tole me that was Pharaoh -an’ his chariots an’ the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea. I -said, ‘Where’s the children of Israel, I don’t see any,’ an’ he said, -‘Oh, they’ve gone over’; an’ I said, ‘Well, then, where’s Pharaoh and -his chariots?’ an’ he said, ‘Oh, they’ve gone under.’ I s’pose that was -the way of it since he said so, but it didn’t seem just right somehow.” - -Just then Jennie was interrupted by a call from the dining room and -scurried away, saving the housekeeper the necessity of listening to any -further details for the moment. - -Don finished his dinner and then went out and sat down in a chair on -the porch. It was a beautiful summer evening, and in the great old -trees about the house the birds were singing their vesper songs. - -Ordinarily the charm of the hour would have appealed to Don, but now -the outer peace only helped to emphasize by contrast the ferment of -anxiety in his mind. Where was his father? Where was his mother? Were -they still alive? What fate was keeping him without tidings of his -parents, dearer to him than life? - -A boy on a motorcycle came at a rapid gait up the road. Don looked -at him listlessly as he neared, but with quickened interest when he -stopped at the gate. - -The messenger opened the gate and wheeled his machine up the path. - -“Cap’n Sturdy in?” asked the boy. - -“Yes,” replied Don. “Want to see him?” - -“Got a cablegram for him,” was the answer. - -“Uncle Frank!” called Don. “Will you step here a minute? Something for -you.” - -The captain came to the door, carrying in his hand the evening -newspaper he had been reading. - -“What is it?” he asked. - -The messenger handed him the envelope he drew from his pocket. The -captain signed for it and tore it open. - -He ran his eyes over the message, and gave a shout that brought Don to -his feet in a twinkling. - -“What is it?” he asked in surprise and some alarm. “What’s the matter?” - -“Read it! Read it!” cried the captain, shoving the message toward his -nephew with a hand that trembled. - -Don looked at it, and started as though he had received an electric -shock. - -“It’s from mother!” he cried. “It’s from mother!” - -This was the way the message ran: - - “Strange disappearance of Richard. Must have assistance. Cable - immediately. - - “ALICE STURDY.” - - - - - -CHAPTER II - -LIKE A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE - - -“From mother!” shouted Don. “She’s alive! A cablegram from mother!” - -He kissed the precious message and pressed it to his heart. Happy tears -were in his eyes. The captain was scarcely less stirred. - -The commotion brought the professor hurrying to the porch, as well as -Don’s sister Ruth, who, not yet fully recovered from her long illness, -stood like a frail lily, framed in the doorway. - -“What is it, Don?” she asked, clasping her hands beseechingly. “I heard -you say something about mother? What has happened?” - -Don sprang to her side and led her to a chair, where he seated her -tenderly. - -“Good news, Ruth, glorious news!” he cried. “We have a message from -mother. She’s alive! Think of it, Ruth! Mother’s alive and we’re going -to see her soon!” - -Ruth’s head drooped on his breast and she fell into a passion of -weeping. They let her cry to her heart’s content, knowing they were -tears that could bring balm and blessing. The captain turned away, and -the professor, to conceal his emotion, blew his nose vigorously. - -The paroxysm passed, and Ruth, her eyes shining through her tears, -looked at Don. - -“What about Dad?” she asked. - -Don’s face clouded. - -“That news isn’t so good,” he answered. “Mother says that he has -mysteriously disappeared. But we’ll find him, never fear. And, anyway, -we know that he is still alive--or was up to within a very short time. -When is that cablegram dated, Uncle Frank?” - -“This morning,” answered the captain, “and it comes from Alexandria. -That shows that they both reached Egypt from Brazil. It’s probable that -Richard has been missing for a day or two only, or Alice would have -cabled sooner. I wish she had gone more into details. But those will -come later,” he added. - -“She has probably been short of money, and cable tolls are expensive,” -suggested the professor. - -“We’ll soon settle the money question!” exclaimed the captain. “Dan,” -he called to the man of all work, who, together with Mrs. Roscoe and -Jenny, had been called out by the excitement and stood near by, “get -out the car at once and drive me down to the village. I’ll cable her -a thousand dollars to-night, and tell her we’re coming to her by the -first steamer we can get.” - -Dan hurried away to the garage, while the captain went into the house -to get his hat. - -“Come into the house, my blessed lamb,” said Mrs. Roscoe, her own face -wet with happy tears, as she folded Ruth in her motherly embrace and -led her inside. - -“My poor dear Missus!” blubbered Jenny, as she followed them. “All -alone out there in the land of the Pigamids and the Spinach!” - -“I’m going with you, Uncle Frank!” cried Don, as Dan brought the car up -to the door. - -“Jump in,” said the captain, as he set the example. Dan threw in the -clutch and the car whirled out of the gate. - -While uncle and nephew are speeding to respond to that call for help -from faraway Egypt, it may be well, for the benefit of those who have -not read the preceding volumes of this series, to tell who Don Sturdy -was and what had been his adventures up to the time this story opens. - -Don was a lad of fourteen, unusually tall and muscular for his age, -with brown hair and eyes and a fair complexion. He had been born and -brought up in Hillville, a thriving town in an Eastern state, about -fifty miles from New York. The Sturdy house was of stone, as were the -barn, garage and other outbuildings, surrounded by several acres of -ground set out with large trees. - -Some time before the beginning of the events here narrated, Don’s -father, Richard Sturdy, a great traveler, had set out on an exploring -expedition, accompanied by his wife, Alice, and by his daughter, Ruth, -who was about two years younger than Don. No word came from them, nor -did the ship _Mercury_ on which they had embarked reach port, and -with the passage of time it began to be feared that the _Mercury_ had -gone down with all on board while rounding Cape Horn. The blow was a -terrible one to Don, who dearly loved his parents and younger sister, -and drove him nearly frantic with grief. - -During his parents’ absence, Don had been left in the care of his uncle -on his father’s side, Captain Frank Sturdy, his official guardian, a -big game hunter of great repute, whose business of gathering animals -dead and alive for museums and menageries had taken him at times all -over the world. He was a big man of iron nerve, sinewy, with black hair -and eyes. He was a dead shot, and his instructions had made Don also a -marksman only second to himself. - -Don was also under the general oversight of Professor Amos Regor Bruce, -his uncle on his mother’s side, and an eminent scientist and member -of many learned societies. He also had traveled extensively in the -interest of museums, for whom he gathered rare archæological specimens. - -To divert Don’s mind from dwelling on his supposed loss, his uncles, -both of whom were bachelors, took him with them on a trip to the -Sahara Desert. There one adventure trod quickly on the heels of -another. Don rescued a boy of about his own size, Teddy Allison, from -the attack of thievish Arabs. It developed that Teddy’s father had -been captured and carried into slavery. The sympathies of Don and his -uncles were enlisted by the boy’s plight, and they organized an auto -expedition into the desert to find Mr. Allison and incidentally to -discover, if they could, the City of Brass and the Cave of Emeralds. -What difficulties they had to surmount; the encounters they had with -bandits; the thrilling circumstances attending the rescue of Mr. -Allison and their finding of the emeralds are told in the first volume -of this series, entitled: “Don Sturdy on the Desert of Mystery; or, -Autoing in the Land of the Caravans.” - -Don’s astonishment and delight may be imagined when he learned from -Mr. Allison that, though the _Mercury_ had indeed been shipwrecked, -a number of passengers on the ill-fated ship had been picked up by a -sailing vessel and carried to Brazil. Teddy’s father had heard the -story from others of the rescued party, a scientist and a sailor, who -were presumably somewhere in Brazil, though he did not know their exact -whereabouts. Don’s hopes that his parents and sister might have been -among the survivors were revived, and he and his uncles determined to -go to that great South American country, a project rendered the easier -by the fact that the captain had a contract to capture big snakes and -the professor wished to go to the same region to search for rare drugs. - -Before long their expedition was organized and they had plunged into -the wilds of Brazil. Here they had the most exciting adventures with -anacondas, boa constrictors, alligators and jaguars, and were many -times in peril of their lives. - -How they captured the hideous monsters of the jungle; how they followed -up traces of Don’s parents and sister and finally found Ruth in a -hospital and brought her back to America; how they were baffled by the -perplexing mystery that still clung about the movements of Don’s father -and mother, are fully narrated in the second volume of this series, -entitled: “Don Sturdy with the Big Snake Hunters; or, Lost in the -Jungles of the Amazon.” - -Now to return to Don, as, with his heart thumping against his ribs with -joy and excitement, he accompanied his uncle to Hillville in order to -send the message that would bring relief and assurance to his mother’s -heart. - -Cable tolls were a matter of no consequence to the captain, and he -sent a long message to his sister-in-law, full of love and sympathy -and encouragement, accompanied by a telegraphic order for a thousand -dollars and directions to draw on him for all she needed to any amount. -He told her also that Ruth was safe at home, and that he and the -professor and Don would be on their way to her by the first steamer on -which they could secure passage. - -“Well, that’s that!” exclaimed the captain, when he had finished and -again climbed into the car. “Now to be up at daybreak and on my way to -New York to make arrangements for our passage. You’ve got to hustle -now, my boy, to get ready.” - -“Ready?” cried Don. “I’m ready now. I’d like to start off this minute.” - -“So should I,” replied his uncle. “But a trip half-way around the world -can’t be taken at the drop of a hat. We’ll make things hum though, you -can be sure of that.” - -“How long will the voyage take?” - -“Three weeks, probably. Possibly a little less if we make good -connections. We’ll have to go to England first, and book passage on a -liner from there. But they run frequently, and we won’t have long to -wait.” - -It was getting dark as they drew near the Sturdy home. In the dusk Don -saw two figures walking by the side of the road whom he recognized at -once. He called to Dan to stop, and the car halted abreast of them. - -“Hello, Emily! Hello, Fred!” Don called out. “Jump in. Where are you -going?” - -“Just coming over to make you a little call,” replied Fred Turner, a -boy of about Don’s own age. - -“Better and better!” exclaimed Don. “Get in. I have some glorious news, -and if I don’t tell it to some one I’ll burst!” - - - - -CHAPTER III - -OFF FOR EGYPT - - -“It would be too bad to have anything like that happen, Don,” was -the laughing reply of Fred, as he helped his sister into the car and -followed her. “So fire away and let’s have it.” - -“Oh, you don’t mean, Don, that you’ve heard from your parents?” asked -Emily eagerly. “I can’t imagine anything else that would make you so -happy.” - -“It’s just that!” declared Don jubilantly. “Got a cablegram from my -mother. She’s in Egypt, and we’re going right over there to get her and -bring her home.” - -Emily gave a little squeal of delight and Fred grabbed Don’s hand with -a fervor that made him wince. - -“Glory hallelujah!” cried Fred. “Isn’t that splendid!” - -“Oh, Don, I’m so glad and thankful!” exclaimed Emily. “Now Ruth will -get well in a hurry. It’s just that awful worry that’s made her so weak -and ill. How did she take it?” - -“Too happy for words,” replied Don. “It will do her more good than all -the tonics and medicines in the world.” - -“Your father is with your mother, I suppose,” remarked Fred. - -“No,” replied Don slowly, his tone tinctured with soberness. “That’s -the one bad thing in the news. He’s disappeared, and mother doesn’t -know where he is. We’re going over to hunt him up. But at least we know -that he was alive nearly up to the time she cabled, and that’s a whole -lot in itself.” - -By this time the car had reached the house. Captain Sturdy went inside -to discuss the coming trip with Professor Bruce. Don and Fred sat down -on the porch, while Emily rushed inside to rejoice with Ruth over her -new-found happiness. - -Fred and Emily Turner were orphans, who lived at a little distance -from the Sturdy home. Their first acquaintance with Don dated from the -time just before his journey to Brazil when Don had saved Emily from a -raging torrent into which she had fallen. Fred at that time was badly -crippled, so badly, in fact, that his recovery seemed hopeless. The -orphans were also in bad financial circumstances, and the small estate -in stocks and bonds that had been left them by their father had been -taken from them by a heartless swindler. - -A warm friendship sprang up between Don and the young folks, and the -former enlisted the help of his uncles in their behalf. The story of -what was done for the Turners by Professor Bruce and Captain Sturdy and -how Fred was cured of his lameness and made as strong and well as other -lads of his age has been narrated in the preceding volume. - -Don and Fred had been chatting for a few minutes on the porch when the -telephone bell rang. Don excused himself and went inside to answer it. - -“Hello!” came the call. “Is that you, Don? This is Brick.” - -“Bully!” cried Don, as he realized that his caller was Teddy Allison, -nicknamed Brick because of his mop of fiery red hair. “I’ve been -wondering why I hadn’t heard from you.” - -“Been plugging away at my books,” growled Brick. “But vacation will be -here in a few days now, and I’m going to make tracks to Hillville just -as soon as I can get away. I’m crazy to hear all about your trip to -Brazil.” - -“You haven’t been any crazier than I’ve been to have you come,” replied -Don. “But, Brick, old boy, I’m afraid I won’t be here when your -vacation begins. I’m going to Egypt.” - -There was an exclamation at the other end of the wire as though Brick -had been stunned. Don went on to explain the good news he had received -and Teddy was overjoyed. - -“It’s glorious, Don!” he said. “It’s the best news I’ve heard in -months. But, say, Don, if you’re going to Egypt, why can’t I go along?” - -“That would be great,” responded Don enthusiastically. “I’d be tickled -to death. And I’m sure my uncles would have no objection. You know what -they think of you. They think you’re about the finest boy that ever -wore shoes. But how about your father? Would he be willing to have you -go?” - -“He isn’t in New York, worse luck,” replied Brick. “He’s gone out West -on a business matter. But I’ll try to get him by telegraph or long -distance ’phone. Oh, Don, I’ve just got to go with you! I’ll go if I -have to swim!” - -“Pretty long swim,” laughed Don. “But do your best, old boy, and I’ll -talk to my uncles; though I’m sure they’ll be willing.” - -The boys talked for a few minutes longer, and then Don hung up the -receiver and rejoined Fred on the porch. - -“From Brick Allison,” he explained. “He’s wild to go with us to Egypt.” - -“I don’t wonder,” commented Fred. “But now, Don,” he went on, rising as -Emily came out on the porch, “I guess we’d better go, for I know you’ll -have a thousand things to do in getting ready for your trip on such -short notice.” - -The next few days were busy ones. Clothes suitable for the hot climate -of Egypt had to be bought, arrangements made for letters of credit, -passages booked on the steamer, and a host of other details attended to -that had to be crowded into their hurried preparations. - -The captain and professor kept the wires hot in their calls on the -various shipping offices, and were delighted to find that they could -get passage on a steamer going directly to Alexandria in Egypt, thus -obviating the necessity of going to England first, an arrangement that -would save them several days. At a time when every day counted, this -was an item of prime importance. - -No answering cable had come from Mrs. Sturdy, a fact that increased -their uneasiness and gave an added intensity to their longing to be off. - -Nor had Teddy ’phoned again, except once to tell Don that he was trying -frantically to get in touch with his father but had not yet succeeded. -But no other message followed, and Don was forced reluctantly to give -up hope of his boy friend taking the trip with him. - -The day came at last when they were to go to New York, there to board -the _Cleopatra_, the vessel on which their passage was booked. There -were tender partings from Ruth, in whose cheeks the roses were again -coming from the knowledge that her mother was alive. They promised to -keep in frequent touch with her by cable. - -There were warm good wishes also from Dan and Mrs. Roscoe and Jenny. -The hired girl’s agitated feelings were revealed by the unusual vigor -with which she chewed her gum. - -“Good-bye, Mister Don,” she whimpered. “Don’t get trompled by no -cambles an’ don’t get et by no crockumdiles an’ don’t fall down in none -of them Egypt tombs.” - -Don promised that he would be careful, and the party stepped into the -car and were driven down by Dan to the station, where they took the -train to New York. - -The _Cleopatra_ was to sail the next morning at eleven, and two hours -earlier Don and his uncles went on board. The ship was new and well -equipped, their staterooms were favorably located and satisfactorily -furnished, and to all appearance they would have a comfortable and, -they hoped, a speedy voyage. - -Don quickly arranged his belongings in his cabin and then went out -on deck, which was humming with the activity always prevailing on a -steamer on the point of sailing. He hung over the rail looking eagerly -for one particular face among the many that thronged the pier. In his -last talk with Teddy he had told him of the steamer he would take and -the day and hour of sailing, and he confidently expected that his chum -would be on hand to see him off. - -But Teddy did not appear, and when at last the gangplank was drawn in -and the great vessel edged her way out into the river, Don turned away -with a feeling of disappointment. What on earth had kept his friend -from being on hand? It was not like Teddy to fail him in anything. - -But though a sore spot remained in his heart, the first days of the -voyage were full of interesting things to engross his attention. The -weather was fine, and he spent most of the time on deck, enjoying the -cool breezes, the never ending fascination of the ocean, and studying -his fellow passengers. - -These last embraced more varied types than usual, because many of them -were natives of countries that bordered on the Mediterranean and were -clad in the picturesque garb of their various lands. There were many -Greeks, Algerians, Tunisians and Egyptians, the latter of whom were of -special interest because of the preëminent place that Egypt held in his -thoughts. - -Three whose dress proclaimed that they belonged to the land of the Nile -particularly attracted his notice. - -One was an elderly man of benevolent expression, with deep piercing -eyes peering out from beneath shaggy eyebrows. He seemed a sage and a -scholar, rich in wisdom and experience. Don instinctively liked him -without exactly knowing why. His name, as the boy ascertained from one -of the deck stewards, was Zata Phalos. - -Two other Egyptians, who, as Don learned from the same source, bore -the names of Tezra and Nepahak, aroused in Don a feeling of suspicion -and distrust. They were always together, and usually conversing in -low tones, as though fearing to be overheard. From glances they cast -frequently at Phalos, accompanied by a vindictive glitter, Don judged -that the latter was the subject of their conversation. - -Tezra was tall and stoop-shouldered, while Nepahak was fat, short and -oily. Don noticed that Tezra did most of the talking, while Nepahak -assented by nods or objected in monosyllables. Tezra was apparently the -dominant character of the two. To Don, the faces of both bore the stamp -of evil. - -“Those birds will bear watching,” Don muttered to himself. “I’d hate to -be at their mercy if they had an object in injuring me.” - -On the third afternoon out Don noticed a certain confusion about one of -the hatchways. A number of the crew seemed to be hauling about rather -roughly a figure that was obscured by the crowd. - -“What’s the matter?” asked Don of a steward who came hurrying past him. - -“They’ve nabbed a stowaway,” was the reply. - -“Poor fellow,” thought Don. He knew that a stowaway was about as -popular with a ship’s officers and crew as a rattlesnake at a picnic -party. “I suppose they’ll make him work out his passage in the -stokehole for the rest of the voyage.” - -Just then a petty officer came up to where Don was seated in his deck -chair between those occupied by the captain and the professor. - -“Beg pardon, sir,” he said, addressing the captain, “but we have a -stowaway there who insists on seeing the Sturdys and Professor Bruce. -Just sheer impudence, I suppose, but I thought I’d tell you, sir.” - -Don and his uncles looked at each other in astonishment. - -“What on earth can that mean?” cried the captain, jumping to his feet -and striding toward the hatchway, closely followed by Don and the -professor. - -The crowd opened as they approached, and their astounded eyes fell -on--Teddy Allison! - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -A PAIR OF SCOUNDRELS - - -“Brick!” cried Don, scarcely daring to believe his eyes. - -“Teddy Allison!” ejaculated Captain Sturdy, in a tone that conveyed -sternness as well as astonishment. - -“Bless my soul!” exclaimed Professor Bruce, staring hard at the -stowaway, as though wondering whether it was Teddy in the flesh or his -ghost. - -But it was a very substantial Teddy that stood before them, held in the -grip of two of the sailors, his clothes rumpled and disheveled, smears -of dirt across his face, his uncombed red hair flaming above his pale -features. - -His eyes had lighted with joy as they looked at Don, but fell -sheepishly before the gravity that had replaced astonishment in the -eyes of the captain and the professor. - -Don leaped forward impulsively and threw his arm over Brick’s shoulder. - -“You sure had me going for a minute, Brick,” he said. “You could have -knocked me down with a feather. But I can’t tell you how glad I am to -see you here.” - -The evident acquaintance of the Sturdys and Professor Bruce with the -stowaway caused the sailors to relinquish their hold of Teddy’s collar, -and just at that moment one of the officers of the ship came along to -look into the matter. - -Captain Sturdy addressed him. - -“You needn’t worry about this boy, officer,” he said. “His father is -a friend of mine. I’ll take all responsibility for him and pay his -passage.” - -“Certainly, sir, certainly,” replied the officer. “That will be all -right. Hardly know where we’ll find accommodation for him though. All -our staterooms are taken.” - -“He can share the cabin of my nephew,” replied the captain. “Come, -Teddy,” he went on, addressing the culprit. “Don will take you to his -room and fit you out with some of his clothes after you’ve had a bath. -Then I’ll have something to say to you, young man.” - -There was something in Captain Sturdy’s tone and glance that was not at -all reassuring to the aforesaid young man, who hurried away with Don, -glad to get away from the half-wondering, half-amused glances of the -passengers who had been summoned by the hubbub. - -“Gee, Don, I suppose I’m in for an awful scolding,” Teddy whispered to -his chum, as he watched the uncompromising back of the captain. - -“Shouldn’t wonder, old boy,” laughed Don. “You’ll probably get an -earful. But, after all, Uncle Frank won’t eat you. And, at any rate, -you’re here, and nothing else matters much. You won’t get any scolding -from me, that’s a cinch. You look mighty good to me, Brick. I’m crazy -to hear what’s happened to you since the ship sailed.” - -“It’s a long story, mates,” replied the grinning Teddy, whose mercurial -spirits began to rise, despite the lecture in store for him. “But first -let me get rid of some of this grime and slip into some decent clothes. -Then I’ll feel like a civilized human being again. Gee, there’s no hobo -has anything on me.” - -So Don forbore to question his friend further, and busied himself in -getting out some of his clothes, while Teddy splashed about in the -bathtub. - -Teddy had scarcely finished dressing when there came a knock on the -door. Don opened it, and the captain and the professor entered. - -“Now, young man,” said the captain, as they seated themselves, “perhaps -you can explain your action in running away from home and stowing -yourself away on this ship. It goes without saying that your father -knew nothing about it.” - -The tone was cold and the look that went with it seemed to bore Teddy -through and through and demand the truth. Not that Teddy thought of -telling anything else. Falsehood was not one of his vices. - -His face flushed almost as red as his hair as he fidgeted about, -nervously clasping and unclasping his fingers. - -“I--I--meant to tell my father,” he stammered. “I tried to find out -where he was. I wrote and telegraphed and telephoned. But he was going -from one place to another, and, somehow, I couldn’t get in touch with -him.” - -“Well?” said the captain, as Teddy paused. - -“Then,” confessed Teddy. “I got desperate to think of Don going to -Egypt without me, and I made up my mind to go anyway and tell my father -about it afterward.” - -“Afterward!” repeated the captain, with a sarcasm that was not lost on -its object. “So you think it’s all right to do things like this and ask -your father’s permission when it’s too late for him to say no?” - -“I don’t suppose it was just right,” admitted Teddy. “But I was sure he -would let me go if he knew about it. When I wanted to go with Don to -Brazil and he wouldn’t let me, he half promised that I could go along -if Don made another trip. And it isn’t as though I hadn’t tried to get -his permission,” he added, in the hope of softening Captain Sturdy’s -heart. - -“That would have made it worse,” conceded the captain. “All the same, -that is no excuse for doing as you did. Undoubtedly your father will be -greatly worried when he comes home and finds you gone.” - -“Oh, I took care of that!” exclaimed Teddy, snatching eagerly at any -redeeming feature. “I left a letter for my father with one of the -servants, telling him all about it. He’ll know I am with you and that -you will take good care of me.” - -The calm assurance of this almost took the captain’s breath away, and a -smile came to the professor’s lips that he repressed instantly. - -“And of course father will pay you for any expense I am to you,” said -Teddy, who had caught the professor’s smile and took heart of hope from -it. - -The captain pondered for a moment. - -“You did very wrong, Teddy,” he said gravely. “No boy has a right to -take such a step as that without his father’s consent. If I could, -I would send you back at once. But that is impossible. At the first -stopping place, I will cable to your father and get his directions in -the matter. In the meantime, of course, you are one of our party. I am -very much displeased with you.” - -With this Parthian shot, the captain left the cabin, followed by the -professor. - -Teddy wiped the perspiration from his face and looked at Don. - -“Gee, he did give it to me good and plenty,” he said, as he sank down -on the bed. “I feel as though I’d been drawn through a knothole. And at -that, I know that everything he said was right.” - -“Everything that Uncle Frank says is right,” declared Don loyally. -“But tell me now, Brick, just how you managed to get on board and stow -yourself away. Here I was, sore as a pup because you didn’t come down -to see me off, and you’ve been right on the ship with us all the time.” - -“I came down to the ship the night before she sailed,” explained Teddy. -“It was dark, and I slipped on board when no one was looking and hid -away in one of the lifeboats. I didn’t mean then--anyway, I didn’t more -than half mean--to be a stowaway. I told myself that I’d see you and -your uncles when you came on in the morning and beg them to take me -with them. I knew I wouldn’t have to beg you,” he added, with a grin. - -“You bet you wouldn’t,” laughed Don. “I couldn’t have said yes quick -enough.” - -“But while I was hiding in the lifeboat I had plenty of time for -thinking,” went on Teddy; “and the more I thought, the surer I got that -your uncles wouldn’t do it without my father’s knowledge.” - -“You were dead right there!” - -“But I was crazy to go,” resumed Teddy, “and I decided that the only -way I could go was to stow myself away so that I couldn’t be found -until after the vessel sailed. The lifeboat didn’t seem safe enough, -for all that any one walking around would have to do would be to lift -the tarpaulin covering and spy me. - -“So I waited till after midnight and watched my chance and slipped down -one of the open hatchways into the hold. There were hundreds of bales -and barrels there, and it was easy to find a place where nobody would -have a chance of finding me.” - -“Why didn’t you come out sooner?” asked Don, in wonderment. “This is -the third day that we’ve been sailing.” - -“Couldn’t,” was the reply. “I found it was easier to get in than it -was to get out. I’d have come out after the first day if I could. But -it was only this afternoon that a sailor came down in the hold for -something, and I yelled to him. You ought to have heard the howl he let -out. Guess he thought it was a ghost at first. Then he came for me. -Oh, I got out on deck quick enough then--pulled up by the scruff of my -neck.” - -“Were you hurt?” asked Don quickly. - -“He didn’t actually hit me,” replied Teddy; “but he twisted his -knuckles in my neck till I thought I’d choke. I guess sailors feel -toward stowaways something as brakemen feel about hoboes stealing -rides on railroad trains. As soon as I could get my breath, I asked for -the Sturdy party; and you know the rest.” - -“How did you get along for grub?” asked Don. “Did you have any with -you?” - -“Not a bit,” was the answer. “You see, when I first came on board I -counted on seeing you the next morning, really, so I didn’t bring -anything along with me. After I’d been down in the hold awhile I began -to feel hungry. Then I got scared for fear I’d starve to death. But I -rustled around among the boxes and barrels and found some boxes where -the covers had been cracked or loosened and got hold of some canned -goods, beef and preserved cherries. I broke the cans open on the sharp -edge of a box. But, oh, boy, what I’m going to do to the grub when I -once get at a regular table!” - -“There goes the gong now,” said Don, rising. “Come right along and fill -up.” - -“Lead me to it!” cried Teddy, jumping up. - -What he did to the fare of the liner’s table amply fulfilled his -prediction. Even the silent disapproval that still persisted on the -faces of the captain and the professor had no effect on his appetite. - -“Does it beat canned beef and cherries?” whispered the grinning Don, -who was sitting beside him. - -“By a thousand miles,” replied Teddy, as clearly as he could with his -mouth full. “I’ve already let out my belt twice.” - -They had reached the dessert when Teddy gave a start. His eyes had -fallen on the faces of two of his fellow passengers, seated at a table -a few feet away. - -“Who are those fellows?” he asked, in an agitated whisper. - -Don followed the direction of his glance. - -“They’re Egyptians,” he answered. “Their names are Tezra and Nepahak. -Why do you ask?” - -“They’re rascals!” declared Teddy emphatically. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -A VILLAINOUS PLOT - - -Don looked at Teddy in surprise. - -“How do you know those men are rascals?” he asked. “I don’t like the -looks of them myself, but I hadn’t heard anything against them.” - -“I’ve heard plenty,” rejoined Teddy. “And from their own lips, though -they didn’t know I heard them.” - -“Spill it,” urged Don impatiently. - -“Wait till I finish this pie,” replied Teddy. “That’s the most -important thing I have to do just now.” - -He kept on imperturbably, while Don waited in a fever of curiosity. - -“Come across now,” said Don, when Teddy had finished the last crumb. - -“That pie’s mighty good,” remarked Teddy, as he signaled the waiter to -bring him another piece. - -“I’ve seen anacondas eat,” said Don disgustedly. “But you have it all -over them.” - -“That’s because they never tasted pie as good as this,” remarked Teddy -complacently. - -He finished his second helping, and then looked around for the waiter. - -“No you don’t!” exclaimed Don, jumping up and grabbing Teddy by the -arm. “Come along now, or there’ll be a famine on board this ship.” - -“I never thought you had such a mean disposition,” remarked the -grinning Teddy, resigning himself, nevertheless, and followed his -friend out on the deck. - -“Now, if you want to live another minute,” said Don, when they had -ensconced themselves comfortably in deck chairs, “tell me what you mean -about those fellows.” - -“They came along the night I was hiding in the lifeboat,” replied -Teddy. “There was nobody else around that part of the deck, and they -sat down within a few feet of me and began to talk. They kept their -voices low and they talked in their own language, so that they felt -pretty safe. But you know I picked up a good deal of Arabic while I -was living in Algiers; so, though there was some difference, I could -understand almost all they said. - -“I didn’t pay much attention at first. They were talking about some -fellow named Fellus or something like that--” - -“Phalos,” interrupted Don. “That’s another Egyptian that’s on the ship. -Kind of an old man, a pretty good kind of a scout, it seems to me.” - -“I guess that’s the one, then,” said Teddy. “I hadn’t listened long -before I knew that they were trying to put something over on this -Phalos, as you call him. Then I lifted up the edge of the tarpaulin a -bit, and took a peep at them. The moon was up, so I had a good look, -and I knew them again the minute I saw them at the table.” - -“What were they trying to put over on him?” - -“Seems he’s got some papers they want to get. I couldn’t get just the -rights of it, but it seemed mighty important to them. Heard one of them -say it would make them rich if they could cop them. And I don’t think -they’d stop at anything to get them. I heard one of them say something -that means about the same thing as our ‘dead men tell no tales.’” - -Just at this moment the two men they were talking about passed them. -They were not sauntering, in the manner of most of the passengers, but -moved as though they were bent on a purpose, like hounds on a trail. - -“Look like a pair of pirates,” snorted Teddy. - -“They wouldn’t take any prizes at a beauty show,” agreed Don. “Wonder -what they’re up to now.” - -“Something they wouldn’t want any one to know about, I bet,” Teddy -conjectured. - -Suddenly a thought struck Don, and he started up. - -“I didn’t see Phalos at the table to-night!” he exclaimed. “He sits -near us, and is usually there.” - -“Well, what of it?” asked Teddy carelessly. “Perhaps he’s off his feed. -And that’s where he’s different from me.” - -“I suppose it was something like that,” agreed Don, sinking back again -into his chair. - -They chatted of other things, but Don’s mind was haunted by a feeling -of uneasiness. He could not shake off a conviction that something was -wrong with the benevolent old Egyptian, whom he had learned to like. -He told himself that he was foolish. Still an uncomfortable feeling -persisted. At last he rose with decision. - -“Come along, Brick,” he said. “Let’s stretch our legs a bit.” - -“Don’t feel as though I could move,” complained Teddy. “I was a trifle -hearty at the table to-night.” - -“A trifle!” jeered Don. “That certainly is putting it mildly! All the -more reason why you should walk it off. Up you come.” - -As he reinforced his urging by a vigorous tug at his friend’s sleeve, -Brick yielded with a groan. - -“Where are you going?” he asked, extricating himself with difficulty -from the depths of his chair. - -“Oh, just going to take a turn or two about the deck,” answered Don. -“And if by chance we should happen to run across those two Egyptians, -so much the better.” - -“What have you got on your chest?” asked Teddy, with quickened interest. - -“Just a little hunch of mine that they may be up to some mischief,” -answered Don. “What you’ve told me about them and Phalos has made me -feel uneasy, especially as the old fellow didn’t turn up at meal time.” - -Teddy’s previous experiences with Don in the Sahara had given him -considerable respect for his friend’s “hunches,” and he went along with -alacrity. - -Twice they made the circuit of the deck without seeing the people of -whom they were in search. Then, in the growing dusk, Don caught a -glimpse of Tezra and Nepahak emerging hurriedly from a cabin a little -way ahead. - -He clutched Teddy’s arm and drew him into a corridor leading from the -deck, where they stood until the men had passed. - -“Come along,” he said, relinquishing his hold on his friend’s arm and -hastening out on deck. - -“But I thought you were going to follow them!” exclaimed Teddy, as he -saw that Don was going in the opposite direction. - -“Not now,” replied Don. “That was Phalos’ cabin they came from, and I’m -going to take a look at that first.” - -In a moment the two boys were standing before the cabin in question, -and Don knocked on the door. - -There was no answer and no sound of any one stirring inside. Don waited -a moment and then knocked again. Still no answer. Then he tried the -knob. The door refused to give. It was locked. - -Don looked hurriedly about and saw that the door of the room -immediately adjoining was standing a little ajar. He pushed it open and -found that it contained no bed but a miscellaneous collection of boxes, -and was evidently a storeroom. - -His eyes roved over the place and detected a transom at the side nearer -the cabin of Phalos. Instantly he beckoned to Teddy and they went in, -closing the door softly. - -Making no noise, Don piled up some of the boxes and stood on them. This -brought his head to a level with the transom. - -For a moment he could make out nothing definite in the cabin. Then, -as his eyes grew accustomed to the shadows, he saw the form of Phalos -sitting in a chair. Looking closer, he saw that the old man was tightly -bound and that a gag had been thrust into his mouth. - -Teddy also had mounted the boxes and stood at Don’s side. - -“Do you see that?” asked Don, in a whisper. “There isn’t a minute to -lose.” - -“What should we do?” exclaimed Teddy. - -Don tried the transom and found that it swung toward him. He pulled it -still further forward and fastened it to a hook above his head. - -The aperture was none too large, but sufficient to permit the passage -of his body. - -“Come after me as soon as you can,” directed Don, as he swung himself -up and through the opening. - -He dropped lightly on the other side and a moment later Teddy had -followed him. - -They rushed to the chair in which the old Egyptian was fastened. His -eyes, which had been closed, opened with a look of terror, to be -quickly replaced by one of hope as he recognized Don. - -In a trice the boys had pulled out their jack-knives and were sawing -away at the cords that bound the captive. In a few minutes they -succeeded in freeing him from bonds and gag. - -The old Egyptian tried to speak, but his tongue at first refused to -obey him. - -“How can I thank you?” he said, at last, to the boys, who were rubbing -his wrists and hands to restore the circulation. “How can I reward -you? You’ve saved my property, and perhaps you’ve saved my life.” - -“That’s all right,” replied Don. “We’re glad we came in time.” - -“But how did you know what had happened to me?” asked Phalos. - -“We saw those countrymen of yours coming from the cabin,” explained -Don. “We knew that they were enemies of yours, and as you hadn’t turned -up at meal time, we thought there was something wrong. What have those -men got against you that they should treat you this way?” - -“They are robbers,” replied Phalos. “They knew that I had a great -secret--” Here he checked himself and darted a quick glance at his -deliverers. “That is, they know I have some valuable property which -they want to take from me.” - -“Where are they now?” asked Don. - -“They’ve gone to their own cabin to get implements to torture me with,” -was the startling reply. “I refused to tell them what they wanted, and -they said they would find a way to cure my stubbornness. They may be -back at any minute. We must get out of here at once.” - -“Right you are!” exclaimed Don. “We’ll report the matter to the captain -and have the rascals arrested. Come right along. You take one arm, -Brick, and I’ll steady him on the other side.” - -They helped the old Egyptian to his feet. Just then they heard the -grating of a key in the lock. - -“It’s Tezra and Nepahak!” exclaimed the Egyptian, in an agitated -whisper. “They’re coming back.” - -Don’s eyes darted about the room and fell on the curtains shielding the -bed. - -“Sit there,” he commanded, thrusting Phalos back in his chair. “Come, -Brick.” - -In a flash the two boys were behind the curtains. - -The stateroom door opened, and Tezra and Nepahak entered, the latter -carrying several objects that by their faint clinking seemed to be -steel tools or implements of some kind. - -Phalos had settled back in his chair, and in the gathering darkness -seemed to be in the same condition as the rascals had left him. - -Nepahak stepped over to the electric switch, but his accomplice halted -him sharply. - -“Don’t turn on that light, you fool,” he snarled. “This flashlight of -mine will give us all the light we need.” - -He stepped over to the silent figure in the chair. - -“Now, Phalos, we’re going to make you listen to reason,” he said in a -tone of deadly determination. “We haven’t followed you half-way around -the world to be balked at last. We know that you have the secret of the -Tombs of Gold, and we’re going to get it from you. If you tell it to -us, we will release you and you won’t be hurt. If you refuse, we have -something here that will make you tell. And if we have to torture you, -you will wish you had never been born. Now I’m going to take that gag -from your mouth, so that you can tell me your decision.” - -He turned to his companion. - -“Come here, Nepahak,” he commanded. “Stand on that side of him while I -remove the gag. Clap your hand over his mouth if he should try to shout -an alarm. But first hand me the flashlight.” - -He took the light his confederate handed to him and flashed it on the -face of his intended victim. - -A wild exclamation escaped from him as he noticed the absence of the -gag and saw also that the cords had been cut. - -“Who has been here?” he cried, in alarm. “What does this mean? Come -back here, you,” he called to Nepahak, who was already making toward -the door, intent upon escape. - -“Now!” whispered Don, touching Teddy’s arm. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE FIGHT IN THE DARK - - -The next instant the boys rushed from their hiding place and launched -themselves upon the rascals. - -They were both tall and muscular, and had the advantage of the -surprise. Don knocked the flashlight from Tezra’s hand, and lashed -out at him with both fists. The blows staggered the Egyptian, and his -confusion was increased by tripping over the leg of Phalos, who was -rising from his seat to take part in the fracas. - -Tezra went down full length on the floor, with Don on top of him. Teddy -had grappled with Nepahak and dragged him from the door. - -The sound of voices and of hurrying feet outside indicated that the -uproar had been heard. The imminence of capture made the rascals -frantic, and with a desperate effort they freed themselves from their -opponents, tore open the door, and vanished. - -A moment later several of the crew with one of the officers came into -the room. One of the men turned on the electric light, and the party -looked with exclamations of astonishment at the disordered room and the -panting and disheveled boys. - -“What’s going on here?” asked the officer sharply. - -Phalos stepped forward. - -“Two men tried to rob me,” he explained. “They had bound and gagged me. -These boys learned of my plight and came to my help.” - -“Who were the men that tried to rob you and where are they?” asked the -officer. - -“They pulled away and ran out of the door just before you got here,” -was the reply. “Their names are Tezra and Nepahak. You will find their -names on the passenger list of the boat.” - -The officer gave some hurried commands to his men and they went out. -Then he turned to Phalos. - -“Are you hurt?” he asked solicitously. - -“Not seriously,” answered the old Egyptian. “Somewhat bruised by the -rough handling they gave me and shaken up by the experience. Nothing -more than that.” - -“I am glad to hear that,” was the reply. “This has been a most -deplorable occurrence. I assure you that we will make every effort to -arrest the rascals and hand them over to the authorities as soon as -we reach port. In the meantime, I would deem it a favor if you and -these boys--who, by the way, showed mighty good pluck in tackling the -thieves--would kindly keep this matter to yourselves. It doesn’t do the -ship or the line any good to have a thing of this kind noised about. -Then, too, it’s apt to make the other passengers nervous and spoil the -pleasure of their journey. Would you mind promising me that?” - -“Not the least in the world,” answered Phalos promptly, and Don and -Teddy nodded in agreement. - -“With the exception of my uncles,” qualified Don. “They’re my guardians -and have a right to know anything that happens to me while I’m -traveling in their charge. But I can promise that they won’t mention it -to any one else.” - -“That’s all right,” replied the officer. “Now, Mr. Phalos, is there -anything I can do for you? Perhaps you would like to have me send the -ship’s doctor in to look you over.” - -“Don’t take that trouble, thanks,” replied Phalos. “I was not injured. -A good night’s sleep will probably set me up again.” - -“Did the thieves get anything?” asked the officer, casting a look -around as he prepared to leave. - -“Nothing at all, thanks to the courage of those two brave boys.” - -“I’ll have a guard set over this room, so that if those fellows should -come back he can nab them,” promised the officer. “But I guess they’ll -steer clear of it. Probably we’ll have them in custody before morning.” - -He bade Phalos and the boys good-night and went out, closing the door -behind him. - -“I guess we’d better be going too, Mr. Phalos,” said Don. “That is, if -there’s nothing more we can do for you.” - -“I think you’ve done quite enough for me for one night,” replied -Phalos, with a grateful smile. “I can never thank you enough. You may -have saved my life. At any rate you’ve preserved me from physical pain -and permitted me to retain in my own keeping something that is very -precious to me. I shall see you again in the morning and will express -my thanks, I hope, a little more adequately.” - -“We’re only too glad to have been of service,” answered Don. -“Good-night,” and with a last word of thanks echoing in their ears, he -and Teddy went out on the deck. - -“Gee!” said Teddy, as he drew a long breath, “I feel like something -that the cat dragged in, and I guess I look it too.” - -“Same here,” laughed Don, as he took in the torn collars and rumpled -clothes of himself and his friend. “It was some little fight those -rascals put up. I only hope they’re nabbed by this time. But say, -Brick, how about that little hunch of mine?” and he gave his comrade a -playful poke in the ribs. - -“You win,” agreed Teddy. “Your hunches are there with the goods, all -right. But let’s get to our cabin and wash up and slip into some other -clothes.” - -As they were opening the door of their stateroom, they met captain -Sturdy and Professor Bruce. - -“Oh, there you are,” said the captain. “We were wondering what had -become of you. But what has happened?” he asked quickly, as he noticed -the state of the boys’ garments. - -“Oh, we’ve had a little scrimmage,” replied Don, and went on to narrate -the exciting happenings of the last half hour. - -His uncle listened with interest, not unmixed with some alarm, -interrupting him at times with questions. - -“You did well, both of you,” Captain Sturdy said approvingly when Don -had finished. “Though it would perhaps, have been more prudent if you -had summoned help as soon as you had discovered the state of things -before you climbed through the transom. You ran a big chance of having -one or both of those rascals stick a knife into you.” - -“I suppose so,” answered Don. “But I didn’t think of that. All I saw -was that helpless old man in the power of those villains. If they’d -only been a minute or two later in getting back, we’d have had the old -man out on the deck, and they wouldn’t have dared to attack him there.” - -“It’s curious that the thieves should have attempted so bold a thing -right here on the ship,” remarked the professor. “They must have been -desperately anxious to get what he had. Had they searched his baggage?” - -“No,” replied Don. “And that’s the funny thing about it. They hadn’t -broken into his bags or trunk, and it didn’t seem that they intended to -do so.” - -“But you say that they were there to rob him?” said the professor, in -some perplexity. - -“Yes,” replied Don. “But the thing they wanted to get wasn’t in his -baggage. It was in his mind.” - -“You mean they wanted to extort a secret from him?” put in the captain. - -“That was it,” Don affirmed. “The old Egyptian told us that himself. -They were going to torture him to get it out of him.” - -“It must have been very valuable if they were prepared to go to such -lengths as that,” remarked the professor. “Did he tell you what it was?” - -“He didn’t,” replied Don. “But Tezra let it out when he told Mr. Phalos -that he was going to make him tell the secret of the Tombs of Gold.” - -“The Tombs of Gold!” exclaimed Professor Bruce, with a start. - -“Ever hear of them, Amos?” asked his brother-in-law, casting a keen -glance at him. - -“Many times,” replied the professor. “But I never knew how much faith -to put in their existence. There have been persistent rumors that there -are such tombs in the Egyptian desert, and more than one expedition -has been organized to search for them. But they’ve always had their -troubles for their pains.” - -“Then you think they’re myths?” asked the captain. - -“I wouldn’t say that,” was the reply. “There are so many wonderful -things in that mysterious country that I’d hesitate to say offhand that -anything was impossible. And our own experience in connection with the -city of Brass and Cave of Emeralds in the Sahara have taught us how -much truth there may often be concealed in tradition.” - -“True enough,” agreed the captain. “I’m beginning to think we may find -this old Egyptian a very interesting person.” - -“He promised to look us up to-morrow morning,” said Don. “If he does, -I’ll introduce him to you.” - -The boys were eager the next morning to learn whether the rascals had -been apprehended. Don sought out the officer whom he had seen the night -before, a Mr. Maitland. - -“Anything doing, Mr. Maitland?” he inquired. - -“Not a thing,” was the disappointed reply. “We haven’t found hide or -hair of them. They seem to have vanished into thin air. But I’m having -a quiet hunt going on for them, and sooner or later we’ll get our hands -on them. They must be somewhere on the ship.” - -“Unless they jumped overboard,” suggested Don. - -The officer laughed. - -“Not a chance,” he replied. “Rascals like that think too much of their -precious skins. We’ll catch them some time skulking around the ship. -For the present, they’ve probably slipped down a hatchway into a hold. -There are plenty of hiding places there, and for a time they may elude -us. But not for long.” - -Phalos had not appeared at the breakfast table, but had been served -in his room. About the middle of the forenoon, however, he made his -appearance, and, catching sight of Don and his party, came up to them -with a smile. - -“I was too agitated last night to thank you properly,” he said, -addressing himself to Don and Teddy. “But I want to do it now. In my -confusion, I didn’t even learn your names.” - -“This is my friend, Teddy Allison,” said Don, indicating his comrade. -“These are my uncles, Professor Bruce and Captain Sturdy. My own name -is Don Sturdy.” - -“Sturdy!” exclaimed the Egyptian, as he acknowledged the introductions. -“I had a very dear friend of that name once, a Mr. Richard Sturdy. Is -he, by any chance, related to you?” - -“Related!” cried Don, as an electric shock seemed to pass through him. -“He’s my father! Oh, tell me, what do you know about him?” - -Phalos looked at him, a little surprised at his vehemence. - -“It’s some years since I saw or heard of him,” he replied. “But why do -you ask? Surely you must know more about his whereabouts than I do.” - -Don’s new-found hope died almost as soon as it was born, and his face -was clouded with disappointment. - -“Mr. Richard Sturdy is my brother,” explained the captain. “He went -away some time ago on an exploring expedition. The ship he sailed on -was wrecked, and my brother received an injury to his head that we fear -has affected his mind. We are now going to Egypt to look for him.” - -Then, while the old Egyptian listened with the keenest interest and -sympathy, Don’s uncle told briefly of the happenings that had brought -the party on the present voyage. - -“I am very sorry to hear this,” Phalos observed, when the story was -finished. “I sincerely hope your search will be crowned with success. -It may be that I can help you, for I know my native country as no -foreigner can. And, if I can, you may command my services. I may be -able to repay in some small measure the debt I owe to this brave nephew -of yours and his friend.” - -“We appreciate your offer, and we shall certainly avail ourselves of -it,” said the professor warmly. “Perhaps you can help us even now by -telling us something about your acquaintance with my brother-in-law.” - -“Mr. Sturdy and I were drawn together by many common interests while -he was in my country,” explained Zeta Phalos. “He was an enthusiast -about the monuments and wonders of old Egypt, and that, of course, was -pleasing to me. He was especially interested in the tombs of former -Egyptian rulers, and spent weeks and months in studying those that had -been opened and in looking for others that still remained untouched. -I was able to help him in this, for all my life has been practically -devoted to the same thing. So we grew to be very close friends.” - -“Was there any particular tomb or tombs that he was searching for?” -asked Don eagerly. - -The old Egyptian shot a quick look at his questioner. - -“Perhaps he was,” he answered evasively. “But he was rather a reticent -man and kept his plans pretty closely to himself.” - -“We thought perhaps he was looking for the Tombs of Gold,” remarked the -professor casually, polishing his glasses. - -Phalos gave a perceptible start. - -“You’ve heard of the Tombs of Gold?” he asked, in a tone that he -evidently tried to make careless. - -“Oh, I know there’s a tradition that such tombs exist somewhere in -Egypt,” replied Professor Bruce. “I don’t know whether there’s any -truth in it or not.” - -“Egypt is rich in treasure,” observed Phalos noncommittally. “In -ancient days it stretched from the Euphrates to the headwaters of -the Nile. Gold was brought in tribute to her kings from all parts of -Africa and Asia. In the time of the Pharaohs her wealth was almost -incalculable. Centuries have elapsed since then, but who shall say that -some of that wealth does not remain either above or below her soil?” - -“Then you believe that the Tombs of Gold really exist?” asked Don, his -eyes shining. - -“I did not say so,” replied Phalos. “It is possible that Mr. Sturdy -thought so. He was certainly intent upon some definite object he had in -mind. He was not going about at random. Especially was he interested -in the Valley of the Kings. There he spent most of his time, working -sometimes till far into the night.” - -“It is reasonable to conclude, then, that he has now gone to the Valley -of the Kings, do you think?” asked the captain. - -“That is certainly where I would look for him first,” replied Phalos. -“You will have to pass through Cairo to get there. My home is in that -city, and I hope you will make it your headquarters during your stay.” - -The friendship between Zeta Phalos and the members of the Sturdy party -grew deeper as the voyage progressed. It soon became evident that the -old Egyptian would prove invaluable to them when once they had landed -and started on their search. - -One night as the vessel was nearing the Mediterranean, Don found it -impossible to sleep. His mind was full of thoughts of his parents, -joyous when he thought of the coming reunion with his dear mother, sad -when he dwelt on the plight of his equally dear father. - -What had become of the latter? Was he wandering about aimlessly in the -foreign land, exposed perhaps to hunger and thirst, to poverty and -hardship? Perhaps at that moment he was dead! At the thought Don’s -heart was wrung with anguish. Or perhaps--and the thought was equally -terrible--his mind, that splendid scientific mind, was gone forever. - -Tortured by these possibilities, Don at last rose, slipped on some -clothes, and went out on the deck. - -It was about two o’clock in the morning, and there was no one in sight -except occasional members of the crew intent on some duty and shadowy -figures of officers making their round of the ship. - -The vessel was passing through the Straits of Gibraltar, and Don sat -down in a chair near the stern, trying to divert his somber thoughts -by gazing at the formidable frowning Rock that stood as the symbol of -Great Britain’s power in the Mediterranean. - -A slight splash in the water attracted his attention. He turned his -eyes in the direction of the sound, but could see nothing. - -Then came a second splash, and with his eyes somewhat adjusted to the -darkness, he could faintly detect a human head above the surface of the -water. Almost instantly the head was lost in the gloom, but a faint -trail of foam traced the course of a man swimming toward the shore. - -At first Don jumped to the conclusion that a man had fallen overboard. -But with the second splash he came to the conclusion that two were -hardly likely to have fallen over so nearly at the same time. Besides, -there was no call for help. And instead of swimming toward the ship, -one, at least, was certainly making for the shore, which at that place -was not more than a quarter of a mile distant, and probably the other -man was following his example. - -Just as Don was wondering what he ought to do, Mr. Maitland, who -happened to be on watch, came along. He peered at Don and recognized -him. - -“Keeping pretty late hours, aren’t you?” he asked, with a smile. -“What’s the matter? Too hot to sleep?” - -“Not that exactly,” replied Don. “I was restless, and thought that a -change might make me drowsy enough to make it worth while to go back to -bed. I’m glad you came along, Mr. Maitland. Did you hear those splashes -in the water?” - -“Splashes!” exclaimed the officer, alert on the instant. “No. Where -were they?” - -“Rather close to the stern,” replied Don. “One followed close upon -another. I know that one was made by a man, for I saw him, and I -suppose the other one was too.” - -The officer unslung his night glasses and looked in the direction of -the shore, but could make out nothing. - -“What do you suppose they were?” inquired Don. “Could they have been -deserters, do you think?” - -“That’s possible, I suppose,” replied Mr. Maitland, with a perplexed -air, as he put up his glasses. “Though I don’t know of any -dissatisfaction among the crew. And, anyway, sailors usually wait until -they reach some port before they take French leave. By Jove! I have -it,” he cried. “It’s those scoundrels that tried to rob the Egyptian.” - -Don jumped to his feet. - -“Do you think so?” he cried. - -“That’s it, for a thousand dollars!” declared the officer emphatically. -“They’ve managed somehow to find a hiding place in a hold, though I -don’t see for the life of me how they did it. They probably knew that -we’d pass close to the shore when we got to the Straits, and they -decided to make a swim for it.” - -“Couldn’t you get out a boat and capture them?” asked Don, chagrined at -the thought of the rascals’ escape. - -Mr. Maitland shook his head. - -“No use,” he replied. “By the time we rounded to and lowered a boat -they’d have reached the shore. Probably they’re there now. Oh, they’ve -put one over on us, all right. It’s a rotten shame, too, for they -richly deserved to be put behind the bars.” - -There was no use, however, of crying over spilt milk, and after a few -minutes more of conversation Don went again to his room. - -His story of the night’s events to the members of his party and the -old Egyptian the next morning created a stir. Phalos especially looked -grave. - -“Of course,” said Don, to cheer him up, “we’re not dead sure it was -those fellows at all. Though Mr. Maitland told me this morning that the -crew had been checked up and none was missing.” - -“I’m afraid it’s only too true that Tezra and Nepahak have made their -escape,” mourned Phalos. “And if they have, I shall hear from them -again.” - -“Perhaps they’ve had such a scare thrown into them that they’ll let you -alone for the future,” ventured Teddy. - -Phalos shook his head. - -“I know them too well,” he asserted. “Tezra is persistent and -relentless. Nepahak is only his tool. They may bide their time, but -soon or late they will renew their attempt to get possession of--” - -“Of what?” asked the captain, as Phalos hesitated. - -“Oh, well,” returned Phalos, evading a reply. “I am not going to worry -about what may happen. Let us talk of something pleasanter,” and he -launched into a description of the Temple of Philae that he had been -discussing with the professor the night before. - -They were now in the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean, almost -every foot of whose coast and islands was rich in historic associations -of the “glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome.” - -Under other circumstances, Don would have found an endless fascination -in this storied sea and its surroundings, but now his mind was so taken -up with thoughts of his parents that he could pay little attention to -anything else. All that he wanted was Egypt, the Egypt where he would -find his mother, the Egypt where he hoped to find his father. This -filled his whole horizon. Nothing else mattered. When, oh, when would -Egypt loom up on the horizon? - -And his heart gave such a leap that it almost seemed as though it would -leave his body when one morning a faint blur in the distance, rapidly -growing larger, revealed itself as the port of Alexandria, where he -would first step on Egyptian soil. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -ON THE TRAIL - - -Only hours now separated Don from his mother, provided that she was -still in Alexandria. But he had been thwarted so many times in the -search for his dear ones, the cup of happy expectation had been so -often dashed to the ground just as he was lifting it to his lips, that -he scarcely dared to hope that this time his longing would be realized. - -What might have happened since he had embarked at New York? Perhaps she -was ill. Possibly she had been called away from the city by some clew -as to the whereabouts of her husband. As to the possibility that he -might find both of his parents reunited--Don scarcely dared hope for -that. - -He packed up all his belongings so that everything would be in -readiness, and then paced the deck in a fever of impatience. - -The steamer seemed to be only creeping along. Yet it was plowing -through the water at a rapid speed that only slowed down when they -neared the older of the two harbors of the famous Mediterranean city. - -Captain Sturdy and Professor Bruce were almost as agitated as Don -himself, though they managed to maintain more of a curb on their -emotions. Teddy, too, was wrought up because of his keen sympathy with -his friend. - -Phalos bade them all a cordial good-bye just before they landed. - -“Though it is really _au revoir_ instead of good-bye,” he said, with a -genial smile, “for I am going to hold you strictly to your promise to -come to see me in Cairo as soon as you reach there, and, if possible, -make my house your headquarters. I shall never forget,” he added, -turning to Don and Teddy, “what you did for me in saving my--property -and quite probably my life. You may count upon me for all I can do in -helping you to find Mr. Sturdy.” - -They thanked him, and promised that they would surely see him in Cairo. - -They landed amid clamor and hubbub, the cries of porters and pleadings -of beggars that are inseparable from all the seaports of the East. To -these they paid no attention, but hailed a taxicab and drove through -the large handsome streets of the European quarter to the hotel from -which Mrs. Sturdy had dispatched her cablegram. - -“Is a Mrs. Richard Sturdy among your guests?” asked the captain, as the -party went up to the desk. - -Don’s heart was in his throat as he listened for the answer. - -“Yes,” was the reply. “Do you wish to see her?” and he reached for the -desk telephone. - -“No need of announcing us,” broke in Don. “These gentlemen are her -brothers and I am her son. We will go right up, if you please.” - -The clerk summoned a bellboy, who rose languidly and came toward them. - -“Hurry, hurry!” urged Don, slipping a coin into his hand. “See how -quickly you can lead us there.” - -There was a noticeable quickening of step on the part of the attendant -as he moved toward the elevator. - -“I guess I’ll stay down here till you send for me,” said Teddy -hesitatingly. - -“No, you won’t!” exclaimed Don, reaching out and pulling him in with -him. - -They ascended to the second floor, and hurried down the hall to a door -at which their guide pointed. - -Don was in the van, and with a trembling hand knocked on the door. It -opened almost instantly, and a sweet-faced, slender woman, still young, -though there were lines of care on her forehead, stood before them. - -“Mother! Mother!” cried Don, and threw himself in her arms. - -“Don! My precious boy! Oh, my dear boy!” cried Mrs. Sturdy, sobbing -with happiness as she folded Don close to her heart. - -She hugged and kissed him and patted his hair, standing him off at -times to look into his face and then drawing him again to her as though -she would never let him go. - -Don’s arms were about her. Tears of joy ran down his cheeks as he tried -incoherently to tell how much he loved her and had missed her and how -delighted he was that at last he had found her. - -Now it was the turn of the captain and the professor, who had stood -aside for a moment while mother and son were tasting the first bliss -of reunion. Their eyes too were moist, as they embraced the sister and -sister-in-law who was unspeakably dear to them and for whom they had -searched over so large a part of the world. - -It was a long time before the members of the happy excited group had -gained some measure of control over themselves. Then Don seated his -mother in a chair, on the arm of which he sat, holding her hand as -though he felt he must keep close grip on her, lest she should vanish -and he awake to find it all a dream. - -The others drew up their chairs, and it was then for the first time -that Don noticed that Teddy was not with them. - -“Where’s Teddy?” he asked, as he looked around the room. - -“Outside in the hall, I imagine,” replied the professor. “He probably -feels shy about coming into what is so strictly a family party.” - -“Who’s Teddy?” asked Mrs. Sturdy, with a smile. - -“A friend of mine who came along with us,” explained Don. “We met him -when we were in the Sahara, and it was his father who first gave us -news of the sinking of the _Mercury_. He hasn’t any mother. He’s a -splendid fellow, Mother. You’ll love him.” - -“Of course, I shall, if he’s a friend of yours,” said Mrs. Sturdy. “And -I’ll be a mother to him, as far as I can, if he will let me.” - -“May I bring him in?” asked Don eagerly. - -“Surely.” - -Don dashed out of the door, found Teddy leaning against the wall of the -corridor, grabbed him and dragged him in. - -“Here he is, Mother,” he sang out, releasing his captive. “This is -Teddy Allison, the best pal a fellow ever had.” - -Whatever shyness Teddy might have felt was banished at once by the -warmth with which Mrs. Sturdy drew him to her and gave him a hug, -putting him at ease at once. - -There was a host of questions from Mrs. Sturdy regarding Ruth, who, the -captain in his cablegram had assured her, was safe with them at home. -When these queries had been satisfactorily answered, she in turn told -them of the adventures of herself and her husband after they had been -rescued from the _Mercury_. - -Tears came into her eyes as, in response to their first eager -queries, she told them that nothing had developed as to her husband’s -whereabouts since she had sent her cablegram. - -“I’ve searched everywhere,” she said. “I’ve written and telegraphed -to all parts of Egypt. At first I was crippled for lack of funds, -but after I received the money you sent I employed private detective -agencies as well. But all of it has resulted in nothing. It is as -though he has vanished off the face of the earth.” - -At this point she broke down. - -“Oh, if you knew how I have suffered!” she said. “If you only knew!” - -Don hugged her and tried to comfort her, and the professor patted her -hand consolingly. - -“Never mind, Alice,” he said. “We’re with you now, and we’ll search the -whole length and breadth of Egypt.” - -“We’ll find him,” asserted the captain, the very bigness of him adding -power to the conviction in his tone. “You’ve had an awful burden to -bear, you poor girl, but now, as far as you can, you must shift it to -our shoulders.” - -She looked at them gratefully through her tears. - -“It would not be so bad,” she resumed, “if he went by his right name -or if he even knew his name. Then it might be easy to trace him. But -all we have to go by is a description of him, and that might so easily -apply to many others that you can’t place much reliance on it. - -“It’s all been like a hideous nightmare since the _Mercury_ went down,” -she resumed. “Richard’s head was hurt by a block that struck him in the -confusion of getting off into the boat. The wound healed, however, and -for the first few days he seemed to be all right. It was only after we -had been landed at Bahia in Brazil and had started on our trip overland -to Martin Clifton’s house, from which we expected to sail for the -United States in the private yacht he offered to place at our disposal, -that I began to notice something queer about him. His mind seemed to be -dwelling more and more on Egypt. You know he spent a good deal of time -exploring there before the war.” - -“Yes, I know,” said the professor, and the captain nodded in assent. - -“He kept talking about the Valley of the Kings in Egypt,” went on Mrs. -Sturdy. “At first I’d try to change the subject and get him to talk of -other things. But he always came back to the one thing that engrossed -his mind. Then he would talk half to himself about figures and -measurements. He had a tape measure and would go about the rooms in Mr. -Clifton’s house and get their length and breadth and height. Then he -would put them down on a piece of paper and after studying them would -mutter. ‘That isn’t it. Must try further.’” - -“Just the very thing you found scribbled on those bits of paper among -his memoranda, Uncle Amos!” ejaculated Don. “He was looking for some -special thing, something of which he already had the measurements.” - -“I’m sure it was a tomb of some kind he had in mind,” said Don’s -mother. “Again and again he would break out with something about the -Tombs of Gold--” - -“The Tombs of Gold!” exclaimed Don, with a start. “Why, that is what -those fellows were trying to get information about from that old -Egyptian!” - -“The old Egyptian?” repeated Mrs. Sturdy inquiringly. - -“A man we met on the boat coming here,” explained Don. “A man named -Phalos. I’ll tell you all about him later. But go on, mother.” - -“All I could think of was of getting back home as soon as possible, so -that Richard could get the medical care that he needed,” his mother -continued. “But we were delayed in starting, and all the time he kept -getting worse. Oh, it was terrible to see such a splendid intellect -losing itself in delusion,” she sobbed. “Again and again I felt that I -would go crazy myself.” - -“Poor, dear mother!” said Don, putting his arms around her neck. - -“One night,” resumed Mrs. Sturdy, when she could speak coherently, -“there was a terrific storm. The thunder and lightning seemed to affect -him strongly and bring things to a climax. He and Ruth and I were -seated in our room when he suddenly started up, shouting, ‘I must go -to Egypt,’ and rushed out into the darkness. I rushed out after him -calling to him to stop and come back. The thunder may have drowned my -voice, but at any rate he didn’t heed me and kept on.” - -Tears came into Don’s eyes as he pictured his gently nurtured mother -running in a frenzy of anxiety and grief after his distraught father in -the rain and darkness. - -“No one was abroad in that terrible storm,” went on Mrs. Sturdy. “There -was nobody I could get to help me. Richard kept on till he got to the -river side. There was a vessel moored to the wharf and he jumped on -board. I saw him stumble and disappear. I leaped after him and stumbled -into an open hatchway. That was all I knew for a long time afterward.” - -Don hugged her convulsively, too overcome to trust himself to speak, -while the professor and the captain were not ashamed of the tears that -came into their eyes. - -“When I came to myself,” resumed Don’s mother, “I was in total -darkness. My head was dizzy, and it was some time before I realized -what had happened. Then it all came back to me. I could tell from the -pitching and the swaying that the vessel was in motion. I felt about -me and found your father near by. He was unconscious. After a while he -came to himself in part, though he was still dazed. - -“Then I found a pole and hammered at the hatch until they heard me and -the cover was taken off. They brought us up on deck. I found that we -were on a vessel bound for the Mediterranean. There was no wireless on -board, so that I could not communicate with any one on shore. But the -captain and everybody on board were very kind to us when I had told -my story. There was enough money in Richard’s pockets to pay for our -passage and leave a modest amount when we should reach shore. It was a -long voyage and a most trying one. The worst of it was that Richard no -longer recognized me. He declared that he had never seen me before. He -had the delusion that he was King Ingot of the Bars of Gold.” - -“Poor father! Poor mother!” murmured Don, his heart wrung by the -narration. - -“But why didn’t you cable us the instant you got to shore?” asked the -captain. - -“I should have done so, of course,” was the reply. “But I kept hoping -that Richard would recover, and for his sake I wanted to keep the -matter secret from everybody who knew him, even from you. I knew it -would be a mortifying memory for him all through his life to have it -known that he had been insane. Any man would feel that way, and Richard -is very sensitive. If he had recovered, I would never have divulged the -secret, and I would have put Ruth, too, under a pledge of silence.” - -“I understand, and it does you credit,” said the captain. - -“Finally,” went on Mrs. Sturdy, “we reached this city, and I got -Richard on shore and under the care of a physician. But nothing could -be done, the doctor said, except to keep him as quiet and composed as -possible and depend upon the healing hand of Time to set his poor mind -aright. Physically, he was in good condition, for the sea voyage had -been beneficial. - -“But instead of getting better mentally, he steadily grew more -irrational. The very fact that he was now in Egypt, the atmosphere, the -language, the heat, the sights, the sounds, emphasized his delusion. -Night and day he kept dwelling on the Valley of the Kings. He would -declare that he was the king of the Valley of the Kings, and that -he must go and look after his kingdom. And one day he eluded me and -disappeared. No one had seen him go. No one knew where he had gone. -It was then that I cabled to you. And now you are here, and, oh, how -thankful I am!” - -Once more she broke into a storm of weeping, for the strain of the -narration and the picture it had brought up before her were too much -for her overtaxed strength. - -The others soothed and comforted her to the extent of their power. - -“You’ve been just wonderful,” declared Don, as he hugged her to him. - -“A perfect heroine,” asserted her brother. “Not one woman in a thousand -could have stood up under such a strain.” - -“I’m mighty proud of you, Alice,” said the captain, his voice husky -with emotion. “But now all the work and responsibility are going to -be taken off your overburdened shoulders. It’s up to us now. You must -just rest and relax, or you, too, will break down completely. And, -please God, we’ll bring Richard back to you, and with care and the -greatest skill that we can command, it won’t be long before he’s his -old splendid self again. Then this terrible thing will be nothing more -to you than a dreadful dream.” - -Under their thoughtful ministrations and the delight and reassurance -that their presence gave her, Mrs. Sturdy gradually recovered her -composure. They refused to let her talk any longer just then about her -husband’s disappearance, and chatted with her about Hillville and Ruth -and the other members of the household, Don bringing a smile from her -at Jennie’s remark about her mistress being all alone in “the land of -the Pigamids and the Spinach.” - -After a while the captain and the professor, taking Teddy along with -them, went out to attend to the pressing matters in hand. Don stayed -with his mother to tell her of his adventures in the Sahara and Brazil -and the thousand other things that she was eager to know about. - -The experience that Don’s uncles had acquired in their travels about -the world stood them in good stead in the present situation. Professor -Bruce knew the language almost as well as he did his own, and both were -tactful and at the same time masterful in dealing with the native races -of the East. - -Before night fell they had learned by inquiries in the native quarters -that a man corresponding to Richard Sturdy’s description had secured -a small party to go with him on an exploring expedition. There had -been no explicit mention of the Valley of the Kings, but the party had -started south in that direction. - -Had they noticed anything peculiar about the man? the professor asked. - -“Well, Allah seems to have set a mark on him,” his informant replied. -“His eyes were bright and he said that he was a king. But, after all, -many kings visit Egypt. And then, all foreigners are queer. He promised -to pay his men well and to double or treble their pay if he was -successful in finding what he was going for. So there were plenty that -were willing to go.” - -This was much, but it was not enough, and the two American men, still -accompanied by Teddy, prosecuted their researches untiringly until they -found the wife of one of the party who had accompanied the bright-eyed -man, and she had heard her husband say that he was going to the Valley -of the Kings. - -“So far, so good!” exclaimed Captain Sturdy, as, tired but exultant, -they made their way to the European quarter. - -“We at least have a goal to aim for,” declared the professor. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -A LAND OF WONDERS - - -“And now, Teddy,” said the captain, “we’ll send a cablegram to that -father of yours and tell him all about his prodigal son and ask him -whether you can go with us or whether we’ll have to bundle you back -home.” - -“Oh, please ask him to let me stay with you, now that I’m here,” begged -Teddy. - -He noted with pleasure that the captain no longer addressed him as -“young man.” As a matter of fact, the captain, who was extremely fond -of the boy, had long ago forgiven him, and the way Teddy had borne -himself in the encounter with the rascals aboard the steamer had fully -reinstated him in the good graces of his temporary guardian. - -The cablegram was dispatched, and then, after some inquiries at a -shipping office, the party made their way back to the hotel. - -Don and his mother were delighted at the news they had secured. - -“I might have known that things would be all right as soon as you got -here,” said Mrs. Sturdy gratefully. - -“Oh, we old hounds are still some good when it comes to picking up a -trail,” replied her husband’s brother, with a grin. - -“And now we must get busy and start at once,” said the professor. -“Every hour is precious.” - -“I can start at almost a minute’s notice,” declared Mrs. Sturdy. - -The captain hesitated. - -“I know just how you feel, Alice,” he said slowly. “But, really, I -think it would be better for you not to go with us. The desert is -no place for a woman, and it’s going to be a very hard and trying -expedition.” - -“Oh, but I want to go!” exclaimed Mrs. Sturdy, disappointment coming -into her face. - -“Of course, you naturally would,” rejoined her brother-in-law. “But all -the same I don’t think it would be wise. You agree with me, don’t you, -Amos?” he asked, turning to Mrs. Sturdy’s brother. - -“I certainly do,” rejoined the latter. “You see, Alice, with all -you’ve gone through, you’ve nearly reached the breaking point. Even -if you were perfectly well and strong, it would be inadvisable; and -as things stand, it would be almost suicidal. We’ve made inquiries at -the shipping office, and a liner is sailing to-morrow. You need to -recuperate in the rest and quiet of home. And then, too, Ruth needs -you.” - -The last proved the strongest argument in breaking down Mrs. Sturdy’s -reluctance, and she finally consented. - -The few hours she still had left with Don were golden ones for both -mother and son, and they spent every moment they could together before -the vessel sailed. - -Her family saw her provided with every possible comfort on the vessel -that was to bear her to the waiting arms of Ruth, and after loving -leave-takings, stood on the shore and waved to her until her dear form -at the steamer’s rail could no longer be distinguished. - -Don’s eyes were wet as he turned to go back to the hotel after the -parting from his mother, but there was a measure of peace and happiness -in his heart to which it had been a stranger for years. At least, he -had found his mother and held her in his embrace. - -God had been good and restored to him his mother and sister. Surely -he could depend on Him to help him find his father. The boy took new -courage and mentally girded up his loins for the coming struggle. - -Those left behind stopped at the telegraph office on their way back to -the hotel and found a cablegram awaiting them from Mr. Allison. Captain -Sturdy tore it open while Don and Teddy waited with bated breath. - -The captain read the message aloud: - - “Young rascal ought to be spanked. Give him my love. Would have let - him go if I had known. He can make the trip with you. Thanks for your - kindness. Know he is in good hands. Will make matters right with you - when you get back. - - “ALLISON.” - -Don clasped Teddy in his arms after the reading of the telegram, and -the two boys executed a wild dance on the floor of the office, much to -the scandal of the native clerks, who looked on open-eyed. - -“Glory hallelujah!” cried Don. “You’re going with us, Brick! Old scout, -you’re going with us! Do you hear?” - -“It’s the reward of virtue,” said Brick, with a shameless grin. - -“Virtue!” snorted the captain, trying to look stern, but not succeeding -very well. “It simply shows that a young scapegrace can sometimes get -by. Come along now. There’s much to do, and we have to hustle.” - -They “hustled” to such good purpose that they were able to take the -train for Cairo that afternoon. They were agreeably surprised, or at -least the boys were, to find that they were in a smart clean train that -would compare favorably with anything in Europe, and that the express -would cover the hundred and fifty mile trip to Cairo in less than four -hours. The lads had expected the ramshackle affair, common in the -East, that would simply drag along under all condition of discomfort. - -“It’s due to the English occupation,” explained the professor. “They -see that everything is good and up-to-date and in accord with Western -standards.” - -Through the windows of the train, as it sped along, the boys saw a -fascinating panorama unfolded. They were in a land that was literally -flowing with milk and honey. As far as the eye could see, the soil -was unbelievably rich. There were great groves of palm trees, their -feathery fronds waving gracefully in the air; fields of dark loam that -needed only to be tickled with the hoe to make them laugh; extensive -fields of cotton, looking like heaps of drifted snow; and plantations -of sugar cane, the stalks crowded so thickly together as to form what -seemed almost an impenetrable forest. - -The coloring of the landscape was also a dream of beauty. The bright -green of the fields, the reddish brown of the Nile, along whose banks -they often wound, the mellow tints of yellow rocks under a sky of -cerulean blue, formed a picture to delight the eye of an artist. - -“A wonderful country,” remarked the professor. “Rich beyond -imagination, even after centuries of Turkish misrule. We can imagine -what it must have been in the days of the Pharaohs, when every inch -of ground was carefully cultivated and when this valley of the Nile -supported an immense population.” - -“What makes it so rich?” asked Teddy. - -“The River Nile,” was the answer. “The annual overflow of the river -leaves a rich deposit of mud that has gradually grown deeper with the -passage of centuries. Dry up the Nile, and Egypt would no longer exist. -It would be just like the Sahara. The old Egyptians used to worship the -Nile as a god and pay sacrifices to it, because they knew their very -lives depended upon it. The priests had pillars, on which they marked -each year the rising of the waters. If the waters were high there would -be an abundant harvest. If they were low the crops would be very poor. -If unusually low, the country would be threatened with famine. In a -very real sense the Nile is Egypt. Even now, beyond the limits of the -spread of the water the country is practically a desert.” - -The old and the new were in perpetual contact all through the -train journey. The railroad stations were neat and well-kept, with -well-uniformed attendants and English clerks in spotless white. Around -them clustered scores of beggars extending their skinny hands toward -the car windows and clamoring for baksheesh. The train passed handsome -villas surrounded by beautiful gardens. These were within a stone’s -throw of squalid mud huts, with ragged dirty children playing about -the doors. Donkeys, so heavily laden with sugar cane that the very -heads of the patient animals were hidden, were prodded along with -sticks in the hands of their drivers. These ancient burden-bearers -disputed the road with modern motor cars, whose honking horns seemed -strangely out of place in that Oriental setting. - -It was a fascinating study of contrasts, and it so engrossed the -attention of the boys that it was with a sensation of regret they found -that they were approaching Cairo, the capital of the kingdom and the -greatest city of Africa. - -They had telegraphed to Zeta Phalos that they were coming, and they -found him waiting for them with a handsome touring car and a uniformed -chauffeur. He waved aside all their suggestions that they might be -taxing his hospitality too much, and insisted on conveying them to his -home, to be his guests until they set out on their search. - -There was no denying such friendliness, and they stepped into the car -and were rapidly whirled to the home of Phalos, which proved to be a -palatial one in the suburbs of the city, not far from the banks of the -Nile. - -It was a beautiful structure, built in harmony with the climate -and surroundings. There were many rooms opening on balconies that -overlooked a courtyard in which were plashing fountains, and everything -indicated that their host was a man of wealth, as well as of breeding -and culture. - -After a dinner so good that Don and Teddy ate till for very shame’s -sake they had to stop, the party adjourned to a balcony which fronted -on the river. - -“Gee! pinch me somebody,” exclaimed Teddy, as he sank into a chair and -took in the full glory of the sunset. “I feel as if I were living in -the days of the Arabian Nights.” - -Don promptly obliged him with a vigorous pinch. - -“Ouch!” cried Teddy, rubbing the stinging flesh. “You needn’t be so -mighty literal.” - -“A friend will always do what another friend asks him to,” replied Don -virtuously. - -From the Nile came the sound of native music, as a felucca glided down -the stream with a wide ripple spreading from her bows, the oars of her -crew swaying to the faint sounds of a chantey, such perhaps as may have -been sung in the days of the Pharaohs. The white sails of a dahabiyeh -gleamed with a rosy tint in the last rays of the sinking sun. It was -a scene of measureless peace and enchantment, as far apart from the -hubbub and bustle of the modern world as though it were on another -planet. - -The Americans roused themselves at last from the trance into which they -had fallen. Phalos was speaking. - -“I cannot tell you how glad I am to have you with me,” he was assuring -Don’s uncles. “The more glad because it is in some sort a compensation -for some bad news that I received from Alexandria just a few minutes -before you came.” - -“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Professor Bruce, straightening up in his -chair. “May I ask what it is? That is, if it’s nothing personal and -private.” - -“In a sense I suppose it concerns all of us,” Phalos answered slowly, -toying with his glasses. “Tezra and Nepahak have landed in Alexandria!” - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -STARTLING NEWS - - -“Tezra and Nepahak!” exclaimed Don, the faces of the sinister pair -coming up before his memory. - -“Those precious rascals!” ejaculated Captain Sturdy, a frown passing -over his brow. - -“How do you know that they have landed?” asked the professor, settling -back uneasily into his seat. - -“From a sure source,” replied Phalos. “A friend of mine in Alexandria, -whom I took into my confidence regarding my experience on shipboard and -who agreed to have a watch kept on debarking passengers, brought me -word. He knows the men, and assures me there is no mistake.” - -“I had thought that by this time they were below with Davy Jones,” -grumbled Teddy. - -“No such luck,” remarked Phalos, with a smile that did not conceal the -deep anxiety he felt. “They must have made land all right the night -they slipped overboard.” - -“But how could they have got here so soon?” asked Don, in some -perplexity. - -“Had the luck to get an English liner that stopped at Gibraltar the day -after they had swum to shore,” was the reply. “My friend tells me that -it is one of the fastest boats on the line.” - -“They say that the Evil One looks after his own,” growled the captain. - -“And this is one of the things that seems to prove it,” added Don. - -“Well,” said the professor, crossing his legs, “now that they are here, -what do you apprehend?” - -“That they’ll be up to mischief right away,” replied Phalos. “The -experience they’ve been through won’t change the intentions of such -calloused scoundrels. They’ll simply attribute that to bad luck and try -again.” - -“It’s too bad that they have such a grudge against you,” remarked Don. - -“It isn’t a grudge,” explained the old Egyptian. “I’ve never done them -any harm, and their feeling toward me isn’t prompted by revenge. They -simply know that I have a valuable secret, and they are trying to -extort it from me.” - -There was a dead silence in the group that was in itself a question -that all were too polite to ask. - -Phalos pondered long before he spoke. - -“I have never revealed the secret to a living soul,” he said at last. -“But there is something about you that invites my confidence and -assures me that it will not be betrayed. Besides I owe you something on -the score of gratitude.” - -They waved that aside with a gesture of their hands. - -“It concerns the tombs of a certain royal family of an old dynasty of -the Pharaohs,” Zeta Phalos began, while all listened intently. “I have -reason to believe that they exist in the vicinity of the Valley of the -Kings and have never been discovered or uncovered.” - -“The Valley of the Kings!” exclaimed Don. “Why, that’s where we’re -going in search of my father.” - -“Exactly,” replied Phalos. “And where I’m going, too, if you are good -enough to let me form one of your party.” - -“With the greatest of pleasure,” assented Professor Bruce, while the -captain nodded his head in vigorous agreement. “Your knowledge of the -place will be invaluable to us, to say nothing of the pleasure we will -have from your company.” - -Phalos inclined his head in courteous acknowledgment. - -“But I thought,” said the captain, “that practically all of the tombs -of the great rulers of Egypt had been discovered and explored.” - -The Egyptian shook his head. - -“Not all,” he said. “A great many have been opened by scientists and -their treasures lie now in the great museums and libraries of the old -world. Others have been broken into by thieves and the tombs despoiled -of gold and gems which were sold secretly to whoever would buy. But -great treasures still await the excavators, as is proved by the recent -discovery of the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen.” - -“Ah, yes,” broke in the professor, “that is the greatest of them all. I -am counting on examining that when we get to Luxor.” - -“The greatest of them all so far,” qualified Phalos. “But if I am not -mistaken, a still greater remains to be discovered. Great heaps of gold -and jewels that have dazzled the eyes and the imaginations of the world -have been found in Tut-ankh-Amen’s tomb. But they will be surpassed, I -think, if we ever discover the Tombs of Gold.” - -“The Tombs of Gold!” ejaculated the professor, while Don and Teddy -looked at each other significantly. “Isn’t that rather an extravagant -description? Do you really mean of gold?” - -“Just that,” replied Phalos soberly. “Not the tombs themselves, -perhaps, but the coffins and pillars and implements placed there for -the use of the dead.” - -“Just what monarch was buried there?” asked the professor, with just -the faintest tinge of skepticism in his tone. - -“You have heard, of course, of Ras-Ameses,” replied Phalos. - -“Surely,” replied the professor, with quickened interest. “The richest -and most powerful ruler of one of the oldest dynasties who extended his -reign over all of Libya and Ethiopia. The one who is supposed first to -have worked the mines of Ophir.” - -“Yes,” assented Phalos, “the one whose palace was filled with gold -and silver ornaments, whose bed was of solid gold and whose barbaric -splendor has never had a parallel among the rulers of the East.” - -“Gee,” murmured Don, while Teddy’s lips puckered for a whistle which he -did not emit. - -“And you will remember, too, that his tomb has never been discovered,” -continued Zeta Phalos. - -“That is so,” agreed the professor. “It has been the dream of -archæologists to find it, but all of them have been forced to give it -up in despair.” - -“That,” pronounced Phalos, with a tincture of pride in the solemnity of -his tone, “is the tomb that I expect to find.” - -The Americans looked at him, startled, and, despite themselves, were a -little incredulous. - -“It will be one of the greatest triumphs of modern discovery if you -do,” replied the professor, after a moment. - -“What makes you think you have a clue to its whereabouts?” asked Don, -in deep interest. - -“It is a curious story,” replied Phalos, smiling at the boy. “One of -the romances of archæology. - -“Many years ago, when I was still strong and vigorous, I was riding -in a remote part of the Valley of the Kings. Above me towered a great -overhanging cliff that cast a grateful shadow over the road and -prompted me to get off my horse and rest there while I had my midday -meal. - -“The place was off from the beaten road of travel, and there was -nothing to distract my attention. I lay there after my meal for a -while, stretched out on my back, looking up idly at the great face of -the cliff. At a height of perhaps three hundred feet, I could make out -what seemed to be carvings or symbols of some sort. - -“While I was looking, a piece of stone fell off the surface and dropped -almost at my feet. I picked it up and saw curious hieroglyphics on it. -I was an ardent student of the ancient writings, and had no trouble in -making out the name of Ras-Ameses.” - -Professor Bruce gave vent to an exclamation. - -“That made the blood thrill in my veins,” resumed Phalos. “I knew, of -course, the mystery that had always veiled the last resting place of -that monarch, and it seemed as though chance had placed the key to the -puzzle in my hands. - -“Right then and there, I resolved to follow the matter up. I made my -way up the almost perpendicular side of the cliff, with only my hands -and feet to aid me, until I reached a narrow ledge, where the old stone -masons must have stood when they first made the inscription. It was -risky work, for a slip would have meant certain death. - -“I could copy part of the inscription from there, but a time soon came -when I had to have a ladder to climb further. I had to drag the ladder -up with a rope and place it in position almost upright on the ledge -perpendicularly against the face of the rock. The least little movement -on my part would have overbalanced and plunged me outward and down to -the foot of the cliff.” - -“Risky work!” exclaimed the captain, looking at the old Egyptian with -the look in his eyes that one brave man has for another. - -“I was young, and perhaps foolhardy, then,” replied Phalos. “I remember -one day when I escaped death almost by a miracle. I was on the ladder -which I had thrown, equipped with hooks, over a rocky ledge above me. -Suddenly the lower part of the ladder broke and I was left clutching -the upper part and swinging over the precipice. I had to pull myself -up hand over hand on the upper rungs until I reached to the top and -safety.” - -“A mighty close call!” ejaculated Don, who was following the narration -with breathless interest. - -“Somewhat,” agreed Phalos, with a smile. “But I finally copied the -inscription and brought it home to study it. It proved to be one of -the boastful inscriptions of his power and glory that Ras-Ameses had -probably composed before his death, leaving orders that it should be -inscribed where it would probably endure for ages. The fact that it was -in a place where it might never be read made no difference. What he was -concerned with was its eternity. The gods at least would have a record -of his exploits. - -“He enumerates his vast wealth and gives a description of the treasures -he had ordered to be placed in his tomb, where other members of the -royal family also were buried or to be buried. There were golden -chariots, which he expected to drive in the future world. There were -golden beds, on which he expected to recline. There were gem-studded -vases of alabaster containing precious perfumes and ointments. There -was a golden boat that would be used in ferrying him over the dark -waters of the underworld. And all of these are described with a -definiteness and particularity that carry conviction.” - -He paused and looked about him. - -“But where are the tombs containing all these treasures?” asked Don -breathlessly, before the others, equally excited, could speak. - -“As to that I have only indications,” was the reply. “The references to -them are vague and mysterious in the inscription. But there is enough -to make me feel sure that with patience and the proper assistants I can -eventually find them.” - -The professor cleared his throat. - -“Are you sure that you are the only man alive who possesses these -clews?” he asked. - -Zeta Phalos was silent for a moment. - -“As far as I know, I am,” he replied. “And yet,” he went on, with some -slight hesitation, “I have sometimes suspected that one other man might -have the key to the secret.” - -“Who is that?” asked the captain quickly. - -“Richard Sturdy,” was the answer. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -IN GREAT DANGER - - -There was a gasp from the members of the party at Zeta Phalos’ words, -and Don bounded to his feet. - -“My father!” he cried. - -“What makes you think my brother knew anything about this?” asked the -captain, with as much agitation as he ever permitted himself to show. - -“Mr. Sturdy and I were firm friends when he was here on his first -exploring expedition,” replied Phalos. “I admired him because of his -fine intellect; and then, too, his passion for research along the same -lines as my own drew us together. Many a time he has been a guest in -my home, and, seated right on this balcony, we have discussed the -things we had in common. More than once we had spoken of Ras-Ameses -and the mystery concerning his burial place. I had at that time made -my discovery of the inscription, but was keeping it a safely guarded -secret. - -“It happened that we were once both at the Valley of the Kings at the -same time, though with different parties. One day, while riding along -at the foot of the cliff on which I had discovered the inscription, -a piece of paper fluttered down from the rock. I wondered where it -could have come from. I picked it up and found that it bore creases in -it that resembled hieroglyphics. I knew that they formed part of the -inscription. You can imagine something of my surprise and consternation -at the thought that perhaps some one else was the sharer of my secret. - -“I had a pair of powerful glasses with me and unslung them and focused -them upon the rock. I could distinctly see other bits of paper on -various portions of the inscription. Then I understood, and, although I -was chagrined, I was filled with admiration for some one’s ingenuity. - -“The man, whoever it was, had approached the matter from the top of -the cliff. He had wet broad sheets of paper and lowered them from the -top with a flat board behind them so as to press them against the -inscription. The letters made creases in the wet paper. As soon as the -paper was dry, he had drawn it up and probably filled in the creases -with ink or pencil. Thus he would eventually have a complete copy of -the inscription, and could decipher it at his leisure.” - -“An extremely ingenious method,” commented the professor, “and one -that makes me proud of my brother-in-law, if he were the author.” - -“What makes you think that my father was the one who did it?” asked Don. - -“My thought would have leaped to him at once because of his -brilliancy,” replied Phalos. “But I had something a little more -definite than that. I turned over the bit of paper I had in my hand and -saw that a name had been scribbled on it. Only a few of the letters -remained, but I could make out ‘urdy.’” - -“Fairly conclusive,” agreed the captain. - -“Later on, when I met Mr. Sturdy,” resumed Phalos, “I could see that -he was intensely excited over something. I tried to sound him out -casually, but he evaded me. I was sure that he had made what he thought -was a great discovery.” - -“That’s what he must have had in mind when he kept talking to mother -about the Tombs of Gold!” exclaimed Don. - -“Did he really speak of them?” asked Phalos, much interested. “That -goes still further toward confirming my suspicion. The thought that had -been with him on and off for years must have taken full possession of -him when his mind became deranged, to the exclusion of everything else.” - -“That makes it all the more likely,” observed the captain, “that we’ll -find him somewhere in the vicinity of the Valley of the Kings, where -the inscription was discovered.” - -“Precisely so,” agreed the old Egyptian. “However, the search may lead -him far afield, for I have reason to believe that the tombs themselves -are at some distance from the place where the inscription was found. -That inscription was placed there because the towering cliff offered -the spot where it was most likely to endure for ages.” - -“It was certainly a lucky day for us when we met you on the steamer,” -declared Don enthusiastically. - -“A luckier day for me,” returned Phalos, with a smile. “Is it -understood then?” he asked, turning to Don’s uncles, “that we join -hands and prosecute our search together?” - -“Most gladly on our part,” replied the captain and the professor in one -breath. - -“Then we’ll consider it settled,” said the old Egyptian. “I have a -steam dahabiyeh moored in the river, and if you are agreeable, we will -sail on that up the river to Luxor. I think you will find it the most -pleasant mode of traveling, and there will be plenty of room for the -baggage and supplies we shall need to take along.” - -“That will be fine,” replied the captain. “And who knows but that the -wishes of all our hearts may be fulfilled in the finding of my brother -and also of the Tombs of Gold.” - -“All things are in the hands of Allah,” replied Phalos, who, although -a cosmopolite, clung to the formula of his Mohammedan faith. - -The next two days were busy ones for the adults of the party, as much -had to be purchased in the way of implements and supplies for what -might prove a long sojourn in the desert. - -Don and Teddy had a good deal of time on their hands, and the professor -suggested that they go out to Gizeh to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx. -They needed no urging, for these mighty wonders of the world had long -made a strong appeal to their imaginations. The boys had seen them -pictured many times, but that was nothing compared to seeing the -marvelous constructions that were old when Rome was young, and under -whose shadows Cæsar and Napoleon had paced and been reminded of their -own littleness. - -Their elders were too busy to go with them, and besides had seen them -before. So Don and Teddy secured a native guide and rode on donkeys -toward the massive creations, the greatest built by human hands, that -loomed up in the brightness of the Egyptian sunshine. - -They were prepared to be impressed, but that word was too weak to -express their feeling of awe when they stood before the largest pyramid -of the three and gazed aloft at its towering top. Overpowered would -have come nearer to their actual state of mind. - -There the greatest of the three pyramids, that of King Cheops, reared -itself toward the skies, originally nearly five hundred feet in height -and with a base so broad that the boys had to trudge through the -sands for half a mile before they had compassed it. It stood there, -apparently as immutable as time itself, a tremendous monument of the -great civilization that had once flourished on the banks of the Nile. - -“How on earth could they build anything like that?” asked Teddy, under -his breath. - -“Uncle Amos says that nobody knows,” replied Don. “He says that it’s -doubtful whether modern engineers could do it at all, even with the -tools they have to-day and that they didn’t have when these were built -six thousand years ago. Probably it was done almost altogether by man -power. - -“Uncle Amos says that it took a hundred thousand men ten years just to -build the sloping road that led up to it. And it took that many men -thirty years to build this one Pyramid. They must have had ropes with -thousands of men hauling the stones along on rollers and then pulling -them up and piling them on each other.” - -“If one of the ropes broke, the stones tumbling down must have crushed -hundreds at a time,” remarked Teddy. “I guess it wasn’t peaches and -cream to be a laborer in those days.” - -“I guess not,” agreed Don. “Little old America is good enough for me.” - -Five hundred yards away from the Great Pyramid was the head of the -Sphinx, that lion-bodied, human-headed mystery of the ages, carved -out of the mother rock that forms the floor of the desert. Nearly two -hundred feet from the tip of its paws to the end of its back, it rose -sixty-five feet in the air, gazing out over the desert in immutable -stony silence. - -“What that could tell if it could speak,” murmured Don. - -After some further explorations the two boys turned toward the city, -which lay white-walled and glittering in the afternoon sun. - -That evening the captain, looking over one of his suitcases, noted the -absence of one of his revolvers. - -“I was cleaning and oiling some of my weapons down in the dahabiyeh,” -he said, after looking about fruitlessly for a time. “I thought I’d -brought them all back here but I must have left that 38-caliber there. -Would you mind running down there, Don, and taking a look for it? -You’ll find one of the men in charge.” - -“Sure, I will,” responded Don, and went off at once. - -The dahabiyeh of Zeta Phalos was perhaps a quarter of a mile away -moored to a wharf. Don had already visited it that morning, and had no -trouble in reaching it. The native watchman, Ismillah, greeted him with -a smile that showed all his gleaming teeth and helped Don look for the -revolver, that had slipped behind one of the cushions. - -With a word of thanks, Don turned to go back. As in most ports, the -district along the waterfront was low and disreputable. The streets -were narrow and ill-lighted. - -As Don was passing along one of the darkest of the streets, two men -stepped out from an alley and confronted him. - -Don’s heart gave a sudden bound as he recognized them. - -They were Tezra and Nepahak! - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -A DASH FOR LIBERTY - - -That the rascals had been waiting for Don was evident from the fact -that they showed no surprise at the meeting. On the contrary, there was -a look of evil determination on their faces that betrayed a deliberate -plan. It was evident that they had been lurking about the Phalos villa, -had seen the boy depart, noted his route and planned to waylay him on -his return. - -“So here you are,” snarled Tezra, thrusting his face close to Don’s. - -“Don’t seem to be anywhere else, do I?” answered Don, with an airiness -that he was far from feeling. - -“You will wish you were, before we get through with you,” growled -Nepahak, at the same time putting his hand to his belt. - -Don had been thinking rapidly. Had the revolver he was carrying in -his pocket been loaded, it would have put him more on a par with his -enemies. But it contained no cartridges. He had seen that when he -picked it up. - -Revolvers, however, have more uses than one. Don, who was as quick as -lightning, plucked it from his pocket and threw it with all his force -at Tezra’s head. It struck that worthy full between the eyes, and he -went down with a crash. - -Scarcely waiting to see the result of the blow, Don lashed out with -both fists at Nepahak. The latter had been staggered at the sudden -downfall of his more dominant companion, to whom he played the role of -jackal. He had no stomach for punishment, and, bewildered by the storm -of blows that Don rained on him, made scarcely more than a pretext at -resistance. In a moment he had turned and made off with as much speed -as his short legs could master. - -Tezra was trying to stagger to his feet. Had he been unconscious, -Don would have stayed and done what he could for him, even though he -was his enemy. As it was, Don picked up the revolver, with a mental -blessing for the service it had rendered him, and hurried away until he -had reached a broad and brightly lighted thoroughfare. Then he abated -his speed, though still walking rapidly, until he reached the villa of -Phalos. - -“What’s up?” asked his Uncle Frank quickly, as he noted Don’s panting -breath and his flushed face. - -“Had a run in with those two beauties, Tezra and Nepahak,” explained -Don, sinking into a chair and tossing the revolver on the table. - -“Tezra and Nepahak!” exclaimed the professor. “Have those birds of evil -omen turned up again?” - -“Very much so,” answered Don. - -“Are you hurt?” asked the captain anxiously. - -“Not a bit,” was the answer. “Only winded. I beat it out of the -neighborhood while the going was good.” - -“What became of the skunks?” asked Brick. - -“The last I saw of them, Nepahak was legging it down the street and -Tezra was just getting up from the sidewalk.” - -“I’m afraid you’ve been fighting again,” said Brick, in mock reproof -but with vast delight. - -“Tell us just what happened,” urged Professor Bruce. - -“Those fellows stepped out of a dark alley and held me up,” replied -Don. “Told me they were going to make me wish I was somewhere else. -As a matter of fact, that’s just what I was wishing. I might have -parleyed with them, but Nepahak was reaching for a knife. I remembered -what you’ve told me about getting in the first blow, Uncle Frank, so -I soaked Tezra with the revolver. Then I lammed into Nepahak, and he -started running. I thought that was a good thing, so I started running -too--in the opposite direction. That’s all.” - -“That’s all!” mimicked Brick. “Knocked the daylights out of both of -them. That’s all!” - -“It seems to be quite enough,” said the professor, with a smile. - -“You’re all there, my boy, and I’m proud of you. Trust the Sturdys to -give a good account of themselves and live up to their name,” observed -the captain. “But it makes me uneasy to learn that Tezra and Nepahak -have turned up again. I’m afraid it bodes no good for our friend Phalos -or the purpose of our expedition.” - -Their host came in at that moment and caught the names of his enemies. - -“What is it I hear about them?” he asked, with a worried face. “Are -they in Cairo?” - -“They were, up to a few minutes ago,” replied Don, and repeated the -essential parts of his adventure. Phalos listened intently. - -“I’m glad you came so well out of it,” he remarked, when Don had -finished. “But it simply shows that my foreboding was correct when I -told you they would not easily relinquish their purpose. It is possible -that they meant to extort from you all that you knew about our proposed -trip and then do away with you. The river was close at hand, and it has -served as a cover for many tragedies.” - -“Could you not set the police on their tracks and put the villains in -jail?” queried the professor. - -“I suppose I could,” replied Phalos. “But I hesitate to do that, -because of the publicity that would attend to it. The reason for their -attempts on me and this last attack on Don might come to light, and -it would thus become known that I have this secret about the Tombs of -Gold, or that Tezra and Nepahak suspect I have. And I want to keep that -from the public at all hazards.” - -“How did those fellows learn that you had such a secret?” asked Don, -voicing a question that had been more than once in the mind of each -member of the party. - -“I lay it to a thievish servant I once had,” returned their host. “I -made two copies of the inscription. One of these I kept always locked -in the safe, of which I alone know the combination. The other was also -usually deposited in the safe, but I took it out frequently to study it. - -“One day, when I was looking it over, I was summoned suddenly out of -the room on urgent business. Shortly after I returned I found that one -of the sheets was missing. I searched for it everywhere, but could find -no trace of it. I examined all the servants. All denied any knowledge -of it. But one of them was so evasive and flustered that I felt sure he -was the guilty one. I caught him later directly in the act of stealing -household articles and discharged him.” - -“And your theory about the missing sheet is what?” asked the professor. - -“That the man, knowing the store I set by the manuscript, stole it with -the idea of selling it,” replied Phalos. “He did not dare to take it -all, but thought that one sheet would not be missed. Some time later I -saw him on the street in close consultation with Tezra and Nepahak, who -have an evil reputation in this city.” - -“What was on the missing sheet?” asked the captain. - -“Just enough to tell that the inscription bore on the tombs of -Ras-Ameses,” replied Phalos. “Everybody in Egypt knows that his tomb -has never been discovered and that it is supposed to contain fabulous -riches. Luckily there was nothing on the stolen paper giving the -slightest clue as to where the tomb was to be found.” - -“That was a bit of luck, but a precious one,” observed Professor Bruce. - -“Yes,” answered Phalos, nodding his head. “But it was easy to jump to -the conclusion that the rest of the manuscript told the story that -the thieves were so anxious to know. They felt sure that I was in -possession of the secret. Hence their persistent attempts to wrest it -from me.” - -“I see,” said the captain. “Tezra and Nepahak believed that if they -could find that tomb they would be rich for life.” - -“And I have no doubt they would,” returned their host. “Rich beyond the -dreams of avarice.” - -“Well, they’ll have a sweet time getting the best of us,” boasted Don. - -The captain laughed, then, the look coming into his eyes that more than -once had made his enemies quail, he observed: - -“You are right, Don. They certainly will.” - -“I believe it,” said Phalos, with a courteous inclination of his head. -“And my mind is more at rest than it has been for months, now that I -have such valuable reinforcements. All we can do now is to keep our -eyes open and deal with those rascals as opportunity offers.” - -By the next afternoon, the preparations of the party were completed, -and they embarked on the dahabiyeh, which was manned by a crew in which -the owner had complete confidence. - -Their voyage up the storied river was replete with beauty and romance. -All the glory of ancient Egypt seemed embodied in that wonderful -stream, that is in some respects the most remarkable river in the -world. The senses of the Americans were fairly steeped in its glamour -and mystery as they sat under the awnings in the day, with the sunlight -falling on the rippling surface and reflected in a thousand diamond -glints, or at night, when the full moon flooded it with solemn splendor. - -But the witchery of the mighty river could not divert Don’s thoughts -from his father. - -Was he still alive? Had he succumbed to hardships? Was he wandering -bewildered and dazed under the scorching suns of that foreign country? -What had befallen him? Where would they find him, if they found him at -all? And even if he were discovered and taken home, would all the skill -in the world be able to restore the splendid mind he had been dowered -with at birth? - -All these questions kept tormenting Don without ceasing, and he had a -furious impatience for the end of the journey. His heart leaped with -joy when they finally reached Luxor, on the site of the former city -of Thebes, the magnificent capital in ancient times of the kingdom of -Egypt. - -Dusk was still lingering in the sky when the dahabiyeh drew up to the -city, but it was still light enough to see across the river the massive -cliffs that hemmed in the Valley of the Kings, that royal mausoleum -of scores of great rulers who had had to bow to a stronger hand than -theirs, and yet even in death clung to the relics of their pomp and -power. - -Don thrilled as he looked at those towering cliffs. At their base was -the far-famed Valley of the Kings. The words that had been so often -on his father’s lips! The valley where even now his father might be -laboring feverishly, following what? A genuine light or a mere will o’ -the wisp? - -The boy could scarcely wait till daylight, and almost as soon as the -dawn had reddened the sky he and the rest of his party, only less eager -than himself, were afoot and getting ready for their trip. - -They breakfasted well at the excellent hotel kept for the accommodation -of tourists from all over the world who yearly visit the far-famed -spot and who just then were in greater force than usual, drawn by the -wonderful discoveries recently made at the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen. - -There was still a certain freshness in the morning air when, after -breakfast, the party set out; but by the time they had crossed the -river the sun was beginning to make itself felt, and by the time they -had reached the celebrated valley it was beating down on them with a -fierceness that reminded them of the Sahara. - -At last the huge piles of rubble and débris that testified to the work -of the diggers apprized them of the approach to the most wonderful -cemetery on earth. - -A more desolate spot it would be hard to imagine. There was not the -slightest trace of vegetation, not a tree, not a flower, not a blade -of grass. The birds avoided it, and the only trace of animal life was -found in the bats that haunted the tombs in myriads. - -But there was plenty of human life in evidence, men guarding the tombs -and scores of others digging in the foothills that rose until they were -lost in the mountainous cliffs that rimmed the valley. - -The searching party passed the wonderful temple of Queen Hatshepsut, -with its rows of pillars standing like sentinels against the dark -mountain masses beyond. Soon they were at the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen, -the most remarkable discovery of its kind in modern times. - -Don had already heard of the romantic history of that discovery, how -the hidden site had been passed over again and again, how for over -sixteen years Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter had toiled among those -dreary wastes, and how at last, when hope had almost been abandoned, -the stubbing of a toe had revealed a step that led down into the -tomb that proved a veritable treasure trove which threw all previous -discoveries in the shade. - -Now, with his companions, he gazed with fascinated interest on the many -treasures that still remained, though most of them had been packed and -sent to Cairo for safe keeping. They penetrated into the inner shrine -and had a mere glimpse of the sarcophagus, at that time still unopened, -that was believed to contain the mummy of the monarch who once reigned -supreme over Upper and Lower Egypt. - -“Think what it must have meant,” said the professor, who of all the -party, with the possible exception of Phalos, most fully grasped the -stupendous importance of the discovery, “when after all those years of -strenuous toil and bitter disappointment, the discoverers penetrated -into the outer chamber of the tomb. - -“Their eyes were fairly dazzled by the wealth revealed to them. Its -money value could be counted in millions, but it was not of this they -were chiefly thinking. There were beautifully carved beds inlaid with -ivory and semi-precious stones, golden sandals, chariots encrusted with -gold and jewels, statues holding golden maces, chairs of ebony and -ivory vases of alabaster and scores of other treasures so rich as to be -almost unbelievable. - -“Then there was a multitude of other things, which, while not so -intrinsically valuable, were of immense importance in showing the -life and customs of ancient Egypt--musical instruments, toys, clothes -and robes for all occasions. There were rolls of papyri, which are -expected, when deciphered, to add enormously to our knowledge of the -times of the Pharaohs. And there were provisions for the dead on -the last journey, trussed ducks, haunches of venison, all packed in -the boxes where they were laid away by the royal chef, thirty-three -centuries ago.” - -Teddy nudged Don. - -“The Egyptians had some good ideas,” he ventured in a whisper. “That -last idea about the ducks and venison hits me hard.” - -“What did you say?” asked the professor, stopping short. - -“I--I said the Egyptians had some good ideas,” stammered Teddy, a flush -suffusing his face. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -THE NIGHT PROWLER - - -“I’m glad you are so interested,” said Professor Bruce innocently. -“Many of the people who come here have no real appreciation of what -they see or hear. Their souls don’t rise above material things.” - -Don gave Teddy a vigorous poke in the ribs that luckily passed -unnoticed. - -There were other tombs in the vicinity, that of Seti I and Amenophis -II, the latter lying extended on his sarcophagus in the full glare of -an electric light that seemed altogether too modern to be in harmony -with a dwelling of the dead. - -It was singular that the scene should have left no sense of depression -on the spectators, such as they would have felt had they been in a -modern cemetery. But so many centuries had elapsed that the tombs and -their contents seemed to them merely historical relics. The haze of -ages enveloped them. It was hard for them to think that the dried-up -mummies had once been breathing living figures, that before these -kings, whom the superstitious people regarded as gods, thousands had -bowed in adoration, that upon their word hung the issues of life and -death. - -So it was with the feeling of being in a great museum that they passed -from one to the other of the great monuments of antiquity adding -momentarily to their knowledge of the mighty civilization that had -flourished there in the dawn of recorded history, thousands of years -before America had been discovered. - -“Seems to me that the Egyptians thought more about dying than they did -about living,” commented Don. - -“It would seem so at first sight,” conceded the professor. “As a matter -of fact, they got a good deal of enjoyment out of life. That is, the -wealthier classes did. It must be admitted that the life of the poorer -people was hard, much like that of the coolies of China to-day. But -those with more money seemed to have indulged in all the pleasures that -money could buy. The paintings on the walls of the palaces and temples -show them at banquets, at races, engaged in hunting, and in all manner -of sports.” - -“Why did they pay so much attention to their tombs, then?” asked Don. - -“That was a result of their religion,” replied his Uncle Amos. “It was -of the greatest importance that the body should be preserved after -death. The Egyptians believed that every human being possessed a double -that was a perfect duplicate of himself, and that the life of the -double depended upon having a body to return to after its journey to -the other world. If the double came back and found the body gone, it -would perish. And the loss of immortality was too dreadful a thing to -contemplate. That’s why they took so much pains to embalm the body.” - -“Why did they have statues of the dead man in the tomb?” asked Don. - -“That was to ‘play safe,’ as you would call it,” answered the -professor, with a smile. “There was always a chance that the body might -be destroyed. In that case, the next best thing would be to have a -likeness of the dead man for the double to come back into. And in order -that the double shouldn’t make a mistake, they painted the likeness of -the man on the statue.” - -“So that the double wouldn’t get in the wrong pew,” murmured Teddy, but -taking care this time that he should not be heard by his elders. - -“In the case of kings,” continued the professor, “there were usually -several statues, so that if one were broken or stolen he would still -have a chance for a future life.” - -“What was the idea of putting the provisions in the tomb?” asked Don, -giving Teddy a surreptitious poke. - -“Because the Egyptians believed that the needs of the future would be -very similar to those of the present,” was the reply. “The soul, or -double, would need food and drink just the same as the person did here. -So jars of water and plenty of bread and meat were placed beside the -mummy. - -“Then, too, the rich man would need servants to wait on him. So they -made little statuettes that were supposed to go with the double and do -his work. The double would need a barge or other kind of boat to ferry -him over the holy waters to the Fields of the Blessed. That was the -reason for the boat that you saw in the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen.” - -“How about the people who were too poor to do that kind of thing?” -asked Don. - -“They got around it by having pictures of those things, the food and -boats and other necessaries painted on the walls of the tomb,” answered -his uncle. - -“Not much nourishment in that,” Teddy whispered to Don. - -“Those manuscripts you saw,” continued the professor, “were what is -called the ‘Book of the Dead.’ They told the dead man what answers to -give when he stood before Osiris, the supreme judge who weighed his -character and decided whether he was worthy to enter Paradise. Among -other things, he was instructed to say: ‘I have not stolen’; ‘I have -not lied’; ‘I have not killed.’ You see the general idea of what was -right and what was wrong was very much the same then as it is now.” - -The time passed quickly, and when the party emerged from the latest of -the tombs they had visited, the sun was high in the heavens and the -valley was like an oven. - -As they passed the different gangs of diggers they made inquiries -of the overseers regarding Mr. Sturdy. The officials listened with -courtesy, and in some cases with interest, but none of them could give -any information. None could be found who had seen such a man as Phalos -or Professor Bruce described. Nor had they heard the name. The latter -of course was not surprising, for, as Don bitterly reflected, his -father did not even know his own name. - -“No help to be gained from these sources,” the captain summed up after -a series of disheartening experiences. “It’s strictly up to us to do -the finding ourselves. Now let’s get back to Luxor and make our final -preparations.” - -There were many other wonders in the vicinity that under other -circumstances the lads, especially, would have liked to visit, such as -the Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Karnak, but everything else must -be abandoned or deferred in their overwhelming desire to find Don’s -father. - -There had been much debate among the members of the party as to the -motive power of the expedition. The captain, remembering the value -of the automobiles in their Sahara trip, would have preferred them. -But inquiry both at Cairo and at Luxor had shown them that there was -none to be had of the type wanted, and the ordinary kind without the -caterpillar tread, would have been of no use in the desert. - -Had they expected their search to be confined entirely to the Valley -of the Kings, they would have used donkeys, the common mode of travel -in that vicinity. But this idea also was abandoned, because of the -supplies that would be needed for the animals. - -So they finally decided on camels, the “ships of the desert,” whose -padded hoofs seemed especially made to travel the sandy wastes and who -could go for days without water in case of necessity. - -The captain and the professor, in their frequent journeys in Oriental -countries, had learned to ride the beasts without difficulty. Teddy, -too, during the time he was in charge of the Algerian, Alam Bokaru, -master of camels, had become fairly expert. - -To Don, however, though he had occasionally mounted one of the brutes, -it was something to be mastered. But as they had to remain at Luxor -for a couple of days, owing to the delay in receiving the permit -for excavations, for which Zeta Phalos had applied to the Egyptian -Government, he had plenty of time to learn and had soon conquered the -swaying, sickening sensations that beset the novice. - -Who should accompany the party had been a subject of much thought on -the part of Phalos. - -“I do not think that we shall have to do much digging,” he said, as -he was discussing the matter with the captain and the professor. “If -my indications are correct, it will be a matter of finding a certain -entrance rather among the rocks than the sands. And the main thing, -anyway, is to find that entrance. If we find that much excavation is -needed, we can retrace our steps and get a force of laborers. In the -meantime, the fewer we have with us, the better our chances of not -having our secret betrayed.” - -“Right you are,” agreed the captain. - -“But we shall need some one to take care of the animals, shan’t we?” -asked Don, who was standing near. - -“Yes,” replied Phalos, smiling on the eager, level-headed boy. “And -for that purpose I have fixed on Ismillah and Abdul. They have been -in my household for years. Their fathers served my father. They are -absolutely trustworthy and devoted to me. Ismillah is an excellent cook -and handy man, and Abdul knows all there is to be known about camels.” - -So it was settled, and after the permits had arrived and all the -supplies secured that would be needed for the trip, the searchers set -out on their double quest--to seek for Mr. Sturdy and for the Tombs of -Gold. - -The first was by far the most important, to the Americans of the party -at least, and it was to this they gave their chief attention. - -They traversed the Valley of the Kings, stopping at every place where -excavations were going on to make inquiries of the foremen in charge. -But always the answer was in the negative, until a doubt began to creep -into Don’s mind whether his father had ever reached the spot that had -possessed so strong a fascination for his deranged mind. When two days -had thus been passed fruitlessly, this doubt became almost a conviction. - -In the course of their journeying, they passed the cliff from which -Phalos had copied the inscription. It was at a dizzy height, and -increased their respect for the man who had dared its perils. - -The captain unslung his field glasses and passed them around, so that -all could have a look at the curious writing that had withstood the -centuries. They studied it with interest, Don far more acutely than -that of any other member of the party, because of his belief that his -father had also risked his life in securing a copy of those queer -hieroglyphics. - -“How on earth could any one read such writings?” asked Teddy. - -“They couldn’t up to a little more than a hundred years ago,” replied -Zeta Phalos, with a smile. “The knowledge of it had passed utterly out -of the mind of man for nearly two thousand years. - -“Then, at the time Napoleon was in Egypt, one of his engineers in -digging a fort uncovered a stone, not much bigger than you could carry -in your hands, that had on it three different kinds of writing. One -was Greek, another was in the writing of the common people of old -Egypt, and the third was in the writing used by the Egyptian priesthood -similar to what you see up there. The stone was called the Rosetta -stone, and is now in the British Museum. - -“Of course, the Greek could be read, and scholars were struck by the -idea that the other inscriptions referred to the same thing. So they -compared the Greek with the other characters and so learned what the -symbols meant. That was the beginning, and before long they had an old -Egyptian grammar and dictionary. That little stone proved to be the key -that unlocked the whole vast storehouse of Egyptian history.” - -As they moved on the surroundings gradually assumed a desert character. -The cliffs grew lower and were in many places replaced by sand dunes. - -Don’s attention was attracted by the countless little heaps of stones -they passed, each consisting of a little upright slab of rock, held in -place by others on each side. - -“What are those, Uncle Amos?” he asked. - -“Prayer stones,” answered the professor, after a casual glance. “They -are the prayers of travelers to the gods of their city that they might -have a prosperous journey. Those fragments of pottery indicate that a -bowl, probably containing water, was set beside each pile.” - -“A prosperous journey,” mused Don, as he thought of the object of his -own search, and though he did not erect a similar pile, there was a -prayer in his heart. - -On the night of the second day they made their preparations to pitch -camp. A tent was soon erected, and while Abdul fed, watered and -tethered the camels, Ismillah prepared a meal that fully justified his -master’s opinion of him as a cook. - -After supper, the travelers stretched themselves out on the sands, -enjoying the faint breeze that had sprung up after sunset and studying -the splendor of the Egyptian sky, studded with stars that glowed like -so many jewels. Above them spread the Milky Way, like a spray of silver -dust. - -“The Nile of the heavens,” murmured the professor. - -“What do you mean?” asked Don. - -“The old Egyptians considered the Milky Way the Nile of the future -life,” was the answer. “They used to fancy that the departed ones were -sailing up and down that, just as they used to sail the Nile when they -were alive.” - -“Quite a poetical fancy,” remarked the captain. - -“How nice and homelike,” said the irreverent Teddy. “You could just -look up and say, ‘There goes Aunt Jemima.’” - -The professor looked rather shocked, but the captain laughed. - -“I’m afraid you’re a hopeless case, Teddy,” he said. “But now I guess -we’d better turn in. We want to get an early start to-morrow before the -sun becomes too hot.” - -His suggestion was followed and all except Don were soon sound asleep. - -But the boy tossed about restlessly on his blanket. It was not the heat -that prevented him from sleeping, for he had become inured to that in -the Sahara. - -It was the tormenting uncertainty as to his father’s fate. He had felt -hopeful of finding him in the Valley of the Kings. With each new gang -of workmen discovered, his heart had thrilled with the thought that -perhaps these were the ones his father had employed, and every time -his hopes had been dashed to the ground. Would he ever find him? - -A sound came to him from without. He propped himself up on his elbow -and listened. Again he heard it, faint but unmistakable. It seemed to -come from the direction of the camels. - -Silently he crept out from the shelter of the tent and looked toward -the tethered camels. - -As his eyes accustomed themselves to the darkness, he could make out -the gaunt figures of the beasts. Then gradually he saw something -else--the figure of a man moving about stealthily. - -With a shout Don rushed toward him. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -A DEADLY MENACE - - -The figure seemed to melt away on the further side of the camels, which -had been roused by Don’s shout and stood upright swaying their shaggy -heads. They formed a screen that served perfectly the purpose of the -marauder, and by the time Don had circled about the animals the man was -not to be seen. - -Don strained his eyes in every direction, but could see nothing. The -night had swallowed up the man as though he had never been. - -The shout had roused the other members of the party, and they came -rushing out, the captain in the van with his rifle in his hand. - -“What is it?” he asked, as they all crowded around Don. - -“There was a man here busy among the camels,” explained Don. “I rushed -at him and he disappeared.” - -The professor had his flashlight, and they turned it upon the group of -camels, which, they were glad to see, were all there. - -An exclamation came from the captain. - -“Here’s what he was doing,” he cried, as he pointed to one of the ropes -that was almost cut through. - -“A thief!” ejaculated the professor. - -“Perhaps,” said Phalos, with a worried look on his face. “But then -again, it may have been more than a case of common theft.” - -“What do you mean?” asked Don. “Do you think,” he went on, as a thought -struck him, “that Tezra and Nepahak had a hand in this?” - -Phalos nodded assent. - -“That is what I fear; though of course I do not know,” he said. “The -design may have been to cripple the expedition and make it move more -slowly by the theft of one or more of the camels. That would make it -easier for them to keep us in sight.” - -“But if they keep us in sight, that will mean that we will also have -sight of them,” remarked Don. - -“I do not mean literally ‘in sight,’” explained Phalos. “But they can -keep on our trail while staying just beyond reach of our vision. I have -a presentiment that they are following us. They are men who will stop -at nothing.” - -“We should have set a guard,” said the captain. “We will after this. -I’ll take my turn to-night. And if any of those fellows try the same -trick again,” he added, as he handled his rifle significantly, “it will -go hard with them.” - -He took his position at the door of his tent, and the rest resumed -their attempts at slumber, although there was little sleep for the -remainder of the night. - -Nothing further developed, and they roused at dawn, made a hasty -breakfast and started on. - -“I have been thinking,” said Phalos, “that it would be well to use a -little strategy to throw possible pursuers off our track. They probably -think that we are going to the water hole of El Ira, since we are -headed in that direction. But Abdul, I find, knows of another water -hole off to the right that will require quite a wide circle to reach -it. I would suggest that we take that route, and after replenishing our -water supplies, strike out for the place where I believe we will find -the Tombs of Gold. I think that plan may balk our enemies.” - -This was decided on, and the party moved ahead under Abdul’s direction, -turning many a look behind as they rode with a view to detecting -possible pursuers. - -Suddenly, the camel on which Don was riding stopped with a jerk that -nearly unseated the boy. Teddy was riding beside him and his mount -stopped at the same moment with similar suddenness. - -“What on earth’s the matter with him?” exclaimed Don, as he urged the -camel forward. - -But the beasts refused to move a step, and now Don discovered that the -animal was trembling. - -He looked about to see the reason. Suddenly, he discovered in the sand -a few feet ahead a horrid swaying head with what seemed to be horns and -a pair of fierce, wicked eyes that glowed like fire. - -At first he could see no body. The creature seemed to be all head. But -as Don looked more closely, he could see a shape of light brownish -color with yellow spots, partly hidden in the sand. The eyes were -glowing like those of a basilisk, and the body began to coil as though -for a spring. - -Quick as thought, Don reached for his rifle, took swift aim and fired. -The bullet smashed the head of the creature, and the sand went up in -clouds, as the body thrashed about furiously. - -“Good shooting!” cried Teddy admiringly, as they dismounted to examine -the reptile. - -“What’s the shooting about?” asked the captain, as he came riding up -with the rest of the party. - -“This,” answered Don, as he prodded the snake with the muzzle of his -rifle. - -“A cerastes!” exclaimed the captain, who recognized it at once. “It’s -one of the deadliest snakes in the world. If you were bitten by that, -you’d be dead in half an hour.” - -“Cleopatra’s asp,” pronounced the professor. “It was one of those with -which the Egyptian Queen committed suicide.” - -“Ugh!” exclaimed Teddy. “It isn’t the thing I’d choose for a bosom -friend. I’m more particular about my company.” - -“It’s lucky your camel saw it when he did,” remarked the professor. -“The snake would surely have bitten him as he passed. They’re the more -dangerous because they can scarcely be detected in the sand. A great -many horses and camels are killed by them in Egypt every year.” - -The suggestion by Abdul that the snakes usually traveled in pairs was -sufficient to make the travelers mount in a hurry. But the mate of the -dead snake, if it were in the vicinity, failed to make itself seen or -felt, and they went on unmolested, though keeping a sharp lookout on -the sands ahead. - -“I suppose, Don, a snake more or less is nothing in your young life, -after all you killed or captured in Brazil,” remarked Teddy, with a -laugh. - -“That’s one case where familiarity hasn’t bred contempt,” answered Don. -“It was in Brazil that I learned to respect them, sometimes to run from -them, as in the case of the cooanaradi.” - -“Call it coon and let it go at that,” laughed Teddy. “Why did it chase -you?” - -“Because it loved me and couldn’t bear to part with me,” answered Don -dryly. “It was a big twelve-footer and fairly soaking with poison. The -only thing I had with me was a machete. I swung just as it overtook and -sprang for me, and by good luck sliced its head from its body. More -than once since then I’ve dreamed that it was chasing me.” - -They were preparing to pitch their tents for the midday rest when a -cloud of dust appeared on the horizon ahead of them. - -In the desert every man is an enemy until he is found to be a friend, -and the camping was deferred, the party remaining on their camels while -they awaited the figures that soon detached themselves from the dust -and rapidly became larger. - -“Get your rifles ready,” commanded the captain. “We’ll have to see who -these fellows are. They may be Bedouins out on a raid, or they may be -peaceful traders. We’ll soon know.” - -As the approaching party came more distinctly into view, apprehension -vanished, for the laden camels showed that it was an ordinary trading -caravan of small size. - -The caravan halted and all looked curiously at the captain’s party. -Phalos and the captain rode toward them with shouted salutations and -signs of friendliness, which were returned in the same spirit. - -Phalos interrogated the leader as to whether he had seen any man who -resembled Mr. Sturdy, describing him as a tall man with black hair. - -No, the leader had seen no such man. He had, however, seen a tall man -with white hair or nearly white. He had seen him with a party digging -near a mound, some thirty miles further on. - -Had he talked with him? - -No, there was something about the man’s eyes that had made him feel -queer. But he had talked with some of the workmen. They had told him -that they were going to quit, that their employer had told them he -would soon have no more money to pay them. Besides, they thought that -the man had been marked by Allah. They had grown afraid. So they were -going away. - -This was the sum of the information they got from the leader of the -caravan, and they returned and reported to the rest of the party, while -the traders moved on. - -It was not very definite, certainly not conclusive, but it brought to -all of them an immense accession of hope. Don was elated beyond measure. - -“Of course, father’s hair was black when I saw him last!” he exclaimed. -“But what he has been through may have changed it.” - -“The news is certainly encouraging,” said the captain. “Though don’t -build too much upon it, Don.” - -“It is significant to me,” remarked Phalos, “that the locality the man -indicated is very close to that where I believe the Tombs of Gold to be -situated.” - -“Don’t you think the time has come to take us fully into your secret?” -asked the captain. “Suppose anything happened to you! You might be -sunstruck, become disabled in some way. In that case, our expedition -will have come to nothing.” - -“You are right,” agreed Zeta Phalos. “You shall know now all that I -know myself,” and during the midday rest period he went into a careful -calculation of facts and figures with the captain and the professor, -while Don and Teddy listened with the greatest interest and attention. - -The boys did not grasp all the calculation, but one outstanding thing -that impressed them was that the place would be indicated by a rock -shaped something like a pyramid, balanced upon another rock, flat in -shape but larger than the first. - -They journeyed hard and fast that afternoon and till well into the -evening in the direction indicated by the leader of the caravan. And -when they camped for the night, they were confident that, barring -accidents, they would be within striking distance of their goal before -the following night closed in on them. - -The next day was the hottest that they had yet encountered. The sun -beat down on them with terrific fury. They were tortured with sunburn -and by innumerable swarms of sand-flies, the plague of Egypt. - -They allowed themselves only a short rest period and pushed on. - -Before long they came to a place where a rocky wilderness stretched -away to the right of the road they were traversing. Here, after a -consultation of his map and a discussion with Don’s uncles, Zeta Phalos -determined to leave the camels in the care of Ismillah and Abdul and -push into the wilderness on foot. The camels would have been of little -use to them on those rocky slopes, and in addition Phalos was quite -as well satisfied to dispense with the servants for the last stage of -the trip. He believed them trustworthy, but preferred to have only the -Americans with him if his goal were actually discovered. - -A cave that offered a secure hiding place for the servants and the -camels was found, and it was not long before the searchers had occasion -to be thankful that they had taken the precaution. - -As they clambered up the slope, amid the huge rocks with which it was -strewn, Don’s keen eyes detected a body of riders in the distance -coming fast toward them. - -Instantly he communicated his discovery to the others and they sank -down behind the rocks that shielded them from view. - -“They’re coming fast,” muttered the captain, “and they are coming in -the direction we came. If it’s that Tezra bunch, they’re tired of -pussyfooting.” - -“They may think that the time has come to attempt to capture us and -make us lead them to the place we’re seeking,” murmured Phalos. - -As the cavalcade drew nearer it could be seen that it comprised more -than a dozen heavily-armed riders of fierce appearance. - -“Bedouins whom Tezra has enlisted by promise of loot,” conjectured -Phalos. - -The captain slipped his glasses to Don, who was lying close beside him. - -“You know the rascals better than I do,” he said. “See if you can -recognize them.” - -Don focused the glasses on the leaders. - -“There they are!” he whispered excitedly. “Tezra and Nepahak! Those two -in front.” - -“As I suspected,” muttered the captain. - -The party swept on and was soon lost to view. - -“Fooled for the time being, anyway,” said Captain Sturdy, as he rose. -“Now it’s up to us to act quickly.” - -The Americans and Phalos worked their way along among the boulders, -gazing eagerly in all directions for their landmark. - -Suddenly Don gave a shout. - -“There it is,” he cried, pointing straight ahead of him. “I see it. The -rock!” - -The other members of the party looked in the direction of Don’s -pointing finger. - -There, sure enough, loomed up a curious combination of two rocks, both -of large size, the upper one shaped something like a pyramid, and the -lower one, on which it rested, flat and a rough square in shape. - -Don had been in the rear of the party with Teddy, but it was his sharp -sight that marked the goal. - -There was a shout of jubilation from all the members of the group, and -they hastened as fast as the difficult ground would let them in the -direction of the rock. - -Don was behind, but was hurrying after the others and rapidly -overtaking them when suddenly the ground seemed to give way beneath -him. He had a sensation of falling--down--down. - -Then came a sharp shock and he knew no more. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -IN UTTER DARKNESS - - -How long it was before he returned to consciousness, Don could not -tell. It might have been minutes or it might have been hours. - -Slowly, very slowly, he was able to recall what had happened to him. He -had seen the cavalcade riding past. Then he had been clambering among -the rocks. It had been a long climb, he remembered. There were many of -the rocks and the slope had been steep. He must have barked his shins -against some of them. They were very sore. Yes, he must have barked his -shins. Careless of him, to be sure, but a little arnica would fix them -up all right. - -Was there anything else? He tried to think. Oh, yes, he had called out -something. What was it he had been shouting about? Oh, it was the rock! -Of course, it was the rock. Why had he not thought of that before? -Well, he had thought of it now. That was something. He felt rather -proud about that rock. He had been the first to see it. Good boy, Don. -You are not so bad! - -He lay for a moment, pleased with the recollection. - -What else was there? He and Teddy had started running for it. Good old -Brick! They had been running pretty fast. Why had they not got to it -then? Where was the rock? Where was he? - -Then suddenly the truth burst on him, and he sat up with a start, a -cold perspiration breaking out all over his body. - -He remembered the ground seemingly melting under his feet, the -sickening descent, the crash. - -He looked wildly about him, but he might as well have been blind for -all that he could see. Even his hand was not visible, as he held it up -before his face. - -He felt of his arms and his legs, with an awful fear that one or more -of them might have been broken. But they were whole, as far as he could -tell, and when he tried to move them they responded. - -But he was torn and scratched in innumerable places and blood was -trickling from his wounds. - -He dragged himself up to a standing position and propped himself -against an earth wall that he could feel but not see. But his head swam -so that he had to sit down again, for fear he should fall. - -It was strange, he thought, that there was no light in the place. If -there had been a hole for him to fall through, there should be a hole -for light to come through. But absolute blackness met him as he turned -his eyes upward. - -He steadied himself and tried to think. What should he do? How could -his uncles find him? What would Brick-- - -Brick! He had been right beside him. Had he also--Could he-- - -“Brick!” he called. - -There was no answer. - -“Brick!” he repeated. - -There was a faint rustling, and a weak voice answered: - -“That you, Don?” - -The next instant Don was making his way in the direction of the -voice. He caught an outstretched groping hand and his own tightened -convulsively over it. - -For a moment both were too deeply moved to speak. Don was the first to -break the silence. - -“Are you hurt, old boy?” he asked anxiously. - -“Somewhat disfigured, but still in the ring,” answered Teddy, with a -touch of his old levity, though his voice was far from steady. “You -see you can’t shake me. I came along with you. I’m sore as a boil, but -no bones broken, as far as I know. How in the mischief did we get down -here?” - -“How in the mischief are we going to get out?” responded Don. - -“I’d give a good deal to know,” complained Teddy. - -“Let’s feel our way around these walls and see if they suggest -anything,” said Don. - -Still badly shaken, but with their strength coming back and their heads -momentarily growing clearer, the two boys groped about the walls of -their prison. They discovered an almost cylindrical passage extending -upward that seemed to be the one through which they had made their -unexpected descent. - -“Give me a back, Brick.” - -Teddy bent over, and Don mounted on his back. But with hands extended -to the uttermost he could touch nothing above. - -Climbing was out of the question, for the walls, though of earth, were -as hard and smooth as though they had been shaped by machinery and -offered no crevices to which hands or feet could cling. - -“Do you know, Brick, I don’t believe we fell through any natural -opening. If we had, there’d be some light coming from up there. The -hole wouldn’t have closed up so suddenly.” - -“What’s your idea then?” asked Teddy wonderingly. - -“I think there was a hinged door there, concealed by earth, that sprang -back again when it dumped us here. A trap laid, perhaps, by the old -Pharaoh to catch anybody who should come prying about his tomb.” - -“The old gink!” exclaimed Teddy. “Who’d ever thought he had such a sour -disposition?” - -“That would explain why the walls are so smooth,” continued Don. “If -any one wasn’t killed by the fall he couldn’t climb up again. Well, -we’re in for it now, and we’re up against it for fair.” - -“They must be looking for us outside,” said Teddy, sobered by their -plight. “Suppose we shout to them. They may hear us.” - -It was a good suggestion, and they shouted till their throats were so -hoarse they could do little else but whisper. - -But there were no answers except the echoes. - -For some time after the boys had realized that their efforts were -fruitless, they remained without speaking. Each was busy with his own -thoughts. And they were not pleasant ones. Their situation dawned on -them in all its horrors. - -They were trapped, shut out, perhaps forever, from the sight of men, -doomed possibly to die amid the lingering agonies of hunger and thirst -in this subterranean enclosure, to which greater terrors were added by -the darkness. - -Life was sweet to them. They had barely tasted its delights, were -merely standing on its threshold. The blood ran strongly through their -veins. Were they to be cheated of their birthright? - -From these gloomy meditations, Don roused himself with a determined -shake of his shoulders. - -“Brace up, Brick,” he counseled. “We’re worth a dozen dead men yet. -Let’s see if we can’t find some way out of this hole.” - -They felt around the walls until they found a passage, so narrow that -it permitted them to walk abreast only by crowding against each other. - -“Let’s go,” said Don. “Whatever it leads to can’t be any worse than -this.” - -They had gone along for perhaps a hundred feet when suddenly their feet -slipped out from under them and they sat down with a thud on a pavement -as smooth as glass and shot down a steep slope as swiftly as though -they were on a toboggan! - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -A FRIGHTFUL APPARITION - - -Startled, confused, bewildered beyond measure, Don and Teddy were -whirled down the steep incline at a dizzy speed, until at last they -were thrown out on the stone floor at its foot in a medley of tossing -arms and legs. - -But the one predominant feeling in their minds as they scrambled to -their feet and looked at each other, in a consternation that would have -been ludicrous under any other circumstances, was that now they could -really see each other! - -They were in the light, the blessed light; not brilliant, but mellowed -and full of shadows. There was no visible source to which it could be -traced, but it was light, and as they looked into each other’s eyes -half the horror of their situation seemed to have vanished. It brought -to each a reinforcement of hope and courage. - -“Gee!” exclaimed Teddy, as he shook himself. “Talk about shooting the -chutes! That has the big one at Coney Island beaten to a frazzle.” - -“It sure does,” agreed Don, as he looked at the slope down which they -had sped and marveled at its mirrorlike smoothness. - -The boys looked about them to see what kind of a place it was into -which they had been so abruptly ushered. They found themselves in a -great spacious room, from which a series of doorways at intervals led -into smaller ones. The roof was high and slightly arched. On the walls -was an almost endless series of paintings that represented almost every -possible scene and custom of ancient Egyptian life. - -They recognized at once the similarity to the paintings they had seen -on their first memorable visit to the tombs of Tut-ankh-Amen and the -other monarchs in the Valley of the Kings. - -“This must be a tomb,” said Don. “Or perhaps one of the antechambers to -a tomb. But it’s on a vastly bigger scale than anything we’ve ever seen -before.” - -“I should say it was!” agreed Teddy, as his eyes took in its -proportions. “The others are only also-rans as compared with this. The -fellow this was built for must have been some big bug in his day.” - -The lads wandered about the room, studying with interest the scenes -depicted on the walls. They had all the stiffness that marks the work -of the Egyptian artists, but apart from that, were surprisingly good -and accurate. - -“I’ve always thought the Egyptians were sad fellows,” remarked Teddy. -“But if these paintings tell the truth, they were pretty gay old boys -if you ask me.” - -There were pictures of royal banquets with wine and flowers in -profusion, minstrels playing, men and women dancing, and buffoons and -clowns adding their part to the merriment. One dancer was bearing the -body of another on his head as he whirled about. Everything in these -pictures indicated abandonment to the material pleasures of life. - -But there were more stately scenes, troops of soldiers marching through -the streets crowded with spectators on both sides, solemn religious -ceremonies in the temples with the priests in full regalia. Other -pictures represented hunting scenes, fights with lions, chariot races, -wrestling, and various athletic sports. - -Still others, more in keeping with a mortuary chamber, showed the -progress of the soul after it had left the body and embarked on its -stormy voyage amid the perils of the underworld and beset by demons -that sought to check its progress before it could reach the presence of -Osiris and the realms of bliss. - -“Look at these cartoons!” exclaimed Teddy, as he came to lighter -specimens of the painter’s art. “I’ve seen worse in some of the evening -papers.” - -He pointed to a hippopotamus seated among the leaves of a tree at a -table while a crow was climbing a ladder to wait on him. A cat, walking -on its hind legs, drove a flock of geese, while a wolf, carrying a -staff and knapsack, led a herd of goats. A battle between mice and cats -was shown, with the king of the mice, in a chariot drawn by two dogs, -attacking the fortress of the cats. - -“The fellow that drew those was throwing himself away,” declared Teddy. -“He could have got a good salary in New York.” - -But while these novel things served a good purpose for a time in -diverting the boys’ minds from their troubles, the latter soon returned -with redoubled force, especially when the lads saw that the light was -waning. They dreaded the coming of the dark in those surroundings. - -“It’s a good thing in one way, though,” said Don, in answer to Teddy’s -comment on the growing shadows. “It shows that it’s natural light. -It must come in from somewhere; and that somewhere must lead to the -outside world. We’ll see if we can’t find out where that is when -morning comes.” - -They sat down touching each other, for the comfort of companionship, -and took stock of their store of provisions. The result was anything -but satisfactory. - -Don had a few crackers in his pocket and a couple of cakes of -chocolate. Besides these, his canteen was two-thirds full of water. -The sum total of Teddy’s possessions was comprised in a sandwich and a -couple of seed cakes that Ismillah had given him. And his canteen was -less than half full. - -“Gee!” groaned Teddy, “if we only had some of those ducks and haunches -of venison that Tut-ankh-Amen never touched! I wouldn’t do a thing to -them!” - -“I don’t suppose they’d be much good after three thousand years,” -remarked Don, with a lugubrious smile. “Still, if there were any -here and I were starving, I’d take a hack at them. We’ll look around -to-morrow morning and see if we can find any.” - -The shadows gradually deepened until they were in blackness so deep -it could be felt. In those sepulchral surroundings, the situation was -enough to daunt the stoutest heart. - -Suddenly a blood-curdling shriek rang through the vaulted chamber. - -The boys sprang to their feet in horror. - -Again the shriek rang out, dying away in groans and moanings. -Then their eyes almost burst from their head as they saw a great -white-sheeted figure, revealed in an unearthly light. It seemed to -advance upon them, waving its arms menacingly! - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -IN THE GRIP OF DOOM - - -The first impulse of the boys was to flee. But their limbs refused to -obey them. They were as though paralyzed, rooted to the spot. Their -hearts seemed to stop beating and their blood turn to ice. - -Then, when it seemed to be almost upon them, the dreadful figure faded -away as suddenly as it had appeared and they were again shrouded in -darkness. - -They were shaking as if with an ague, and neither felt ashamed of it. -Coming on top of what they had already endured that day, the shock was -almost beyond bearing. - -They fell rather than sat down on the stone floor, their hands closely -interlocked. - -“Oh, Don, what was it?” quavered Teddy. “A ghost?” - -“Ghost, nothing!” declared Don, trying to infuse stoutness into his -denial. “You know as well as I do that there’s no such thing as a -ghost.” - -“I never did believe it till now,” said Teddy. “But what was that, if -it wasn’t a ghost? Lots of people believe in them. Perhaps it’s the -old king this tomb belongs to, and he’s come to warn us against coming -here.” - -“Nonsense!” replied Don. - -“What was it then if it wasn’t a ghost?” challenged Don’s companion. - -“How do I know?” countered Don, who by this time was getting back some -of his usual self-possession. “It may have been some crazy person. -Heaven knows, it’s enough to make any one crazy to be in here. It may -have been a trick of some kind. Perhaps this is a robbers’ cave, and -that’s a way they have to scare out intruders. I don’t know what it -was, but I’m dead sure that it isn’t a ghost. And you know it isn’t, -either.” - -“I suppose it isn’t,” admitted Teddy, as common sense once more took -the helm. “But it sure had me going for a minute.” - -“Me, too,” confessed Don. “I never had such a scare thrown into me in -my life.” - -“If only it doesn’t come back!” sighed Teddy. - -“If I had my rifle with’ me, I’d put a bullet in it,” declared Don, -bitterly regretting the absence of his weapon, which had flown from his -hand when he fell. - -“One thing is certain, that I won’t get a wink of sleep to-night,” -affirmed Teddy, staring fearfully through the dark in the direction -from which the ghostly visitor had come. - -“I guess I’m with you there,” replied Don. - -But nature was stronger than all their beliefs and resolutions, and -before long they were sleeping the sleep of absolute exhaustion, from -which they did not wake until a pale suffusion of light through the -cavern told them it was morning. - -The light, faint as it was, brought them new courage. And if they ever -needed courage, it was then. - -They were ravenously hungry, but they took only a nibble at their -scanty store, far more precious to them at the moment than its weight -in gold. They washed it down with a mere swallow of water, and then set -about discovering a way of escape from what was now their prison, but -threatened to become their tomb. - -“Do you know, Brick,” said Don thoughtfully, “I’ve changed my opinion -about that place we fell down? I don’t believe it was a trap.” - -“What was it then?” asked Teddy. - -“I think it was an entrance for those who were supposed to have a right -to come here,” replied Don. “In the first place, if they’d wanted to -kill intruders, they’d probably have made a better job of it--put a few -spikes at the bottom for them to be caught on, or some playful thing -like that.” - -“Don’t!” urged Brick, with a shudder. - -“You see it didn’t kill us,” pursued Don. - -“Born to be hung, perhaps,” conjectured Teddy. - -“And then too they wouldn’t have left that passage open to the tomb,” -continued Don. “They’d have walled that hole all the way around. But -they didn’t. They left it open for their own purposes.” - -“Well, suppose they did, what does all this lead to?” - -“Just this,” replied Don. “That those who came in that way didn’t -expect to go back that way. No one could climb up that toboggan. It’s -too steep and it’s too slippery, and there’s absolutely nothing to hold -on to. You might as well try to climb up a looking glass. - -“Now if they didn’t expect to go back that way, they must have meant to -get out some other way. Get me?” - -“Oh!” exclaimed Teddy, as a light broke in on him. “You mean there’s -some other entrance to this place?” - -“Yes,” replied Don. “Though in our case, as it was in theirs, it will -be an exit. There must be some such place, and it’s up to us to find -it.” - -The boys drew new hope from the conclusion and set out at once to look -for their one hope of safety. They tried to find the source from which -the light filtered in, thinking, naturally, that this would be the key -to the enigma. - -But search as they would, the secret evaded them. The marvelously -cunning architects and engineers of ancient times had done their work -well, if their intention was to confuse and bewilder any unwarranted -visitor. - -Another proof of ingenuity soon warned them of the necessity of keeping -together. They found that the many rooms that surrounded the central -hall were arranged on the principle of a maze or labyrinth, with so -many and such unexpected openings, one into the other, that it was -almost impossible to meet at any agreed spot. And there were so many -of these rooms and passages that the vast underground construction -suggested the Catacombs of Rome. - -In the middle of the day they took another morsel of food and a swallow -of water. Soon even this would be denied them. Again they set out on -their desperate quest, tightening their belts to still the gnawings of -hunger. Their tongues became swollen and their lips cracked from the -thirst that tortured them. - -The coming of the night found them again at their rendezvous in the -central hall, baffled and defeated, no nearer the solution of their -terrible problem than when they had started in the morning. - -A tiny morsel of food and a sip of water were all they dared allow -themselves. Then, haggard and hollow-eyed, they crouched as near as -they could get to each other and--waited. - -For what? - -The same unspoken thought was in the mind of each. - -Would that terrible figure appear again? - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -TRAPPED - - -When Don had raised his shout of discovery Captain Sturdy, Professor -Bruce and Phalos had rushed in the direction of the rock that reared -itself near the top of the rugged slope. - -At times it was obscured by other boulders, and they had difficulty in -getting their bearings, but they kept steadily getting nearer, and at -last they stood before it. - -With a trembling hand Zeta Phalos drew from his pocket the precious -copy of the inscription. He and the professor bent over it, eagerly -comparing point to point the indications on it, while the captain -waited impatiently. - -At last the two straightened up with delight in their eyes. - -“No doubt about it!” exclaimed the professor. “It answers every -requirement. Now to find a way in.” - -A feverish search was made, and finally a crevice was discovered into -which a man might worm himself behind the towering rock. - -The captain turned about and shouted: - -“Come along, Don! Come along, Teddy!” - -He thought he heard them respond, although it was only an echo. Then, -dropping on hands and knees, he worked his way through the opening. - -The others, who were smaller and slenderer, followed the captain’s -example, and all three were presently on the other side of the rock and -in a narrow passage. - -They straightened up and brushed off their clothes, expecting every -instant to see the boys following them. - -But no other form darkened the opening, and the captain grew impatient. - -“Hurry up, boys!” he shouted. - -The words had scarcely left his lips when there was a tremendous crash, -and the delicately balanced upper rock came down, filling the entire -opening and leaving them in utter darkness. - -The roar was deafening in that confined space, and beat upon their -eardrums until it seemed as though they would burst. And a cloud of -dust arose that was suffocating. - -The captain, inured to dangers and to quick thinking, was the first to -realize what had happened. - -“Trapped!” he roared. “Trapped! Penned in like so many rats!” - -He rushed against the heavy stone and heaved against it with all the -strength of his powerful shoulders. But strain as he would, he could -not make it budge. And as he remembered its giant size, he realized -that it must weigh scores of tons. He might as well have tried to move -a mountain. - -As this conviction came to him, he desisted from his efforts and came -slowly towards his companions. - -“Lucky that the boys are not in here with us,” he remarked, his -habitual calmness returning to him. “They, at least, have their chance. -It is singular, too,” he mused. “Don, especially, is usually right up -to the front at a time like this. Didn’t you think they were following -us?” - -“I thought I heard them answer you when you called to them,” replied -the professor. “But, after all, that may have been only the echo of -your voice.” - -“Possibly,” rejoined the captain. “But, at any rate, they must be -right outside now. We must communicate with them and get them to go to -Ismillah and Abdul for help. With our united efforts, we may be able to -make an exit.” - -He approached the rock, called out as loudly as he could and hammered -on the rock with the butt of his rifle. But no response came, and, at -last, sorely puzzled, he abandoned the attempt. - -“Well,” Professor Bruce said grimly, “the old Pharaoh has sprung the -trap. His dead hand has reached out through forty centuries and tricked -us.” - -“What do you mean?” asked the captain. - -“What I say,” was the reply. “You don’t suppose that it was mere -accident that caused that stone to fall just at this minute, do you?” - -“The long arm of coincidence--” - -“Nothing of the kind,” interrupted the professor. “That rock was -balanced so perfectly that it would fall when a hidden spring was -pressed. And we pressed that spring when we stepped on one of the -blocks in this paved passage. Those old fellows were marvels when it -came to bits of infernal ingenuity like that.” - -“It is probable,” observed Phalos. - -“The very fact that there was an opening there should have warned us,” -admitted the captain. “Why should entrance have been so easy? Simply to -lure us in, so that we could be punished for our presumption. ‘Will you -walk into my parlor, said the spider to the fly.’ Well, we’ve walked in -all right, and if the spider knows anything where he is, I’ll bet he is -grinning at us this moment.” - -He communed with himself a moment in bitter self-reproach, while Phalos -and Professor Bruce, both silently, tried to work out some plan of -procedure. - -“Well,” the captain resumed at last, with a return of his old -nonchalant manner, “there’s no use crying over spilt milk. We’re here, -and that’s all there is about it. We’re all grown men, and we’re all -of us able to face the truth. I believe I’m betraying no confidence,” -he added with grim humor, “when I say that we’re in a very serious -situation. But we’ve all been in others quite as serious and emerged -with a whole skin, and perhaps history will repeat itself.” - -“I’m thankful, at least, that the boys are not with us,” remarked the -professor. - -“Amen to that,” said Phalos. “To a large extent, we at least have lived -our lives. They have theirs before them.” - -“And there are other bits of silver linings to our clouds,” resumed -the captain. “In the first place, we have pretty good proof that no -one else has preceded us. So if we find the tomb at all, we’ll find it -unrifled. - -“Then, again, I had the luck to shove our bag of provisions through -the hole before I crawled in myself,” he continued. “There are several -extra canteens of water there too, besides those we have strapped to -us. So we have enough with care to last us for a week or so, if we have -to stay here that long.” - -“That’s good,” observed the professor. “And, as we can’t go back, we’d -better go forward at once.” - -“Yes, let’s be getting along,” the captain said, picking up the bag of -provisions and slinging it over his shoulder, while in the other hand -he carried his rifle. “As Amos says, we can’t go back, and so we’ll -make a virtue of necessity and go forward. That, after all, is what we -came for.” - -They went on carefully, picking their steps along a paved passage, so -narrow that they had to go single file. - -The path sloped steadily downward, so that they knew they were going -into the bowels of the earth. The air was heavy and dank, and yet there -was at times the faintest perceptible stirring of the air that showed -there must be some communication with the outer world. The reflection -gave them new courage, and they quickened their steps, the captain -using his flashlight as a guide. - -After they had gone perhaps a quarter of a mile and were beginning to -wonder whether the passage was interminable, they suddenly came into -a large room walled in on all sides with stone, on which were painted -scenes of Egyptian life. - -The captain flashed his light around the room and a cry of -consternation came from the lips of all. - -The scene revealed was one of the wildest confusion. Lids had been torn -from coffins and lay splintered upon the floor. Mummy wrappings were -tossed here and there, helter skelter. On the floor over in one corner, -lay a mummy, with the head torn from the shoulders and lying several -feet away from the body. - -The old Egyptian threw up his hands. - -“Too late! Too late!” he moaned, and tore his hair. “The tomb has been -rifled!” - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -A NIGHT OF HORROR - - -Zeta Phalos’ companions fully shared his feelings, though they -repressed them more than their emotional Oriental comrade. - -“All for nothing! All for nothing!” moaned Phalos. “After all these -years and all this effort, to find the tomb of Ras-Ameses too late!” - -A sense of futility and depression, too great for words, gripped the -hearts of all the men. - -But from this first despondency a thought came to the professor that -made him start up with renewed animation. - -“Let me have that flashlight, will you, Frank, for a minute?” he asked. - -The captain relinquished it, and the professor picked up a piece of the -broken coffin lid and examined it with care. Then he gathered up the -other pieces and laid them together as they had been originally. - -A moment of critical study and he straightened up with a laugh. His -companions looked at him with amazement. - -“Glad you can see something to laugh about,” said the captain grimly. - -“Why shouldn’t I laugh?” was the reply. “Here we’ve had all our -grief for nothing. This isn’t the coffin and that isn’t the mummy of -Ras-Ameses.” - -“Are you sure?” asked the captain, while Phalos ceased his moaning and -hurried to his side. - -“Certain!” was the reply. “Look at the symbols on this cover. Do you -see the vulture? Do you see the sacred cobra? Do you see the crowns of -Upper and Lower Egypt? Of course you don’t. None of them is there. Yet -they would be there if this were the coffin of the royal Ras-Ameses. -This is the coffin of one of his relatives--see, here is his name, -Horum-Aleb. Perhaps a nephew or a son-in-law.” - -A cry of vast relief broke from the lips of Phalos when he perceived -that the professor was right in his conclusions. - -“You are right,” he said. “I jumped too soon at conclusions. I should -have remembered that large numbers of the royal family were buried in -close proximity to the Pharaoh himself.” - -His relief, however, though great, was not of long duration, and his -brow clouded as another thought occurred to him. - -“But if men have broken in here and despoiled this tomb, is it likely -that they would stop here?” he asked. “Would they not persist until -they found the vastly more valuable one of the king himself?” - -“That, of course, is possible,” conceded the professor. “But we’ll not -assume that until we know it. Besides, everything here shows that they -acted with the wildest haste. They may have been alarmed and made off -with their booty without going any farther.” - -“There’s one other angle to this matter,” put in the captain. “Whoever -rifled this tomb had some other way of getting into it and getting out -of it than by the way we came in. We know that they didn’t use that, -or the stone would have been down when we got to it. And if there is -another entrance or exit, we have our chance of finding it.” - -“Is there anything in the inscription bearing on this tomb of -Horum-Aleb?” asked the professor. - -“Not by name,” replied Phalos. “I have pored over the manuscript so -often that I know it by heart, and that name does not occur in it. But -the diagram that I have worked out from the veiled descriptions of the -whole group of tombs gives an estimate of their length and width that -may be of help to us in this instance.” - -“Will you lend us your flashlight again, Frank, while we look it up?” -asked the professor. - -Somewhat to his surprise, the captain hesitated. - -“We’ve got to be exceedingly careful of this flashlight,” he observed. -“I have only one extra battery with me, and if we have to stay here -long our lives may depend upon our having light enough to see our way -about. But I have plenty of matches, and we’ll use torches and small -fires as far as possible.” - -“You always think of everything, Frank,” was the tribute the professor -paid him. “Very well, then, we’ll use one of these splintered pieces of -coffin lid as a torch.” - -He lighted one end of the resinous wood, which burned with a bright -though flickering light. - -“While we’re looking this over, Frank,” the professor suggested, -“suppose you take the measurements of this room with your tape.” - -The captain complied, and found that the mortuary chamber was -thirty-three feet long by twenty-two wide. - -He announced the result, and an expression of gratification came from -the lips of the savants. - -“Those figures apply to a tomb only the third removed from that of -Ras-Ameses, as far as we can make out,” said Phalos. “We can’t be very -far from the royal tomb itself.” - -“Do you remember, Frank,” asked the professor, “how many such -measurements were found in the memoranda of Richard’s that we examined -at Hillville? That shows that he wasn’t following a blind trail, but -had something definite to go upon. It’s another proof that it was he -who secured the other copy of the inscription.” - -“I guess you’re right,” agreed the captain. - -They went forward, and found themselves before long in a bewildering -maze of passages that branched off from one another in all directions. -Some led up to walls that might or might not have rooms on the other -side. Others terminated in what were veritable points, and had -evidently been designed to mislead and weary any intruder into the -tombs. - -“You have to hand it to those old engineers and architects,” grumbled -the captain, in unwilling admiration. “In cunning and foxiness they’d -make some of our modern ones look like thirty cents.” - -The demands of hunger now began to make themselves felt, and the -professor suggested that they snatch a hasty meal. The others willingly -acquiesced. - -“Napoleon used to say that an army, like a snake, traveled on its -stomach,” remarked the professor. “Which is one way of saying that a -hungry man is no good for fighting. And we have a fight on our hands, -if any one ever had.” - -They made their way back to the mortuary chamber of Horum-Aleb. -Once there, they took from the bag of provisions a limited amount of -their precious stores. They ate sparingly, but the meal was made more -palatable by coffee that Ismillah had brewed that morning and placed in -a thermos bottle. - -Never before had any of them partaken of a meal in such weird and -uncanny surroundings. To save the light, they sat in utter darkness. -This had the additional advantage of hiding from them the funereal -trappings and the dried-up figure of the headless mummy lying over in -the corner. - -But they knew it was there. That thing that had once been a man like -themselves was there. They could visualize him in the darkness. He was -a guest at their meal--a very quiet guest to be sure--but he was there. - -Suddenly there rose a wail as of a soul in torment, a dreadful hideous -shriek that filled them with horror. - -The old Egyptian fell over on his face and groveled on the floor. - -“The vengeance of the ancient gods,” he cried wildly, “for daring to -search for the Tombs of Gold!” - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE MAN BY THE STREAM - - -Crouching down in the central hall, baffled and defeated in their -efforts to find a way out into the world beyond the great cave, Don -and Teddy sat for a long time in an attitude of strained expectation. -No word was spoken, but each knew what the other was waiting for. They -were hungry and thirsty, but if that had been all they would have -resigned themselves and tried to forget their misery in sleep. - -But there was more than that--the dread of the supernatural! - -Very frequently the bravest of men does not care to go through a -cemetery at night. He may laugh and make light of his fears. He may -summon his common sense to his aid. He may tell himself that only -fools fear the dead. Yet, however he may fortify himself, some obscure -survival of the fear inherited from generations of superstitious -ancestors makes him heartily glad when he leaves the dead behind and -finds himself once more in the haunts of the living. - -Teddy at last broke the silence. - -“Do you think it will come to-night?” he asked, looking around him -fearfully, as though his eyes could pierce the darkness. - -“I guess not, Brick,” answered Don encouragingly. “I don’t think--” - -Just then it came! - -Again a weird, blood-chilling shriek rang down the passage, repeating -itself in a thousand echoes, and again before the terrified gaze of the -boys that frightful figure upreared itself and seemed to advance toward -them with waving arms and threatening gestures. - -Another long-drawn shriek and the apparition disappeared, seeming to -melt at once into nothingness. - -The boys clung close together, their hearts beating like triphammers, -their minds dazed. Only gradually did they relax, and for a long time -they trembled like leaves. - -“I--I tell you it _is_ a ghost,” said Teddy, at last, tried beyond -endurance. - -“And I tell you it isn’t,” retorted Don, who, however, was shaken -almost as much as his comrade. - -“It is, it is!” reiterated Teddy, covering his face with his hands, as -though thus he could shut out the memory of the hideous apparition. - -“Oh, if I only had my rifle,” groaned Don, to whom the mere feel of -that trusty weapon would have brought strength and comfort. - -“It wouldn’t have done you any good if you had had it,” replied Teddy. -“You’d have to have a silver bullet in it to kill a ghost.” - -Don could not help laughing, and it was amazing how that laugh helped -to break the tension. - -“Well, you do,” repeated Teddy defensively. “And it has to be blessed -by a bishop, too.” - -“There isn’t any silver bullet handy or a bishop either,” said Don. -“Anyway, lead and steel are good enough for me. - -“Now look here, Brick,” he went on. “We’ve got to pull ourselves -together and put all that nonsense about ghosts out of mind. We know -when we think it over that there isn’t any such thing.” - -“But we’ve got to believe our eyes,” insisted Teddy. “We saw it, didn’t -we?” - -“We saw something. But what it was, we don’t know. But I’m going to try -to find out,” and Don rose to his feet with an air of decision. - -“Where are you going?” asked Teddy. - -“Down that passage,” answered Don, pointing in the direction of the -apparition. - -“Oh, don’t!” urged Teddy, laying his hand on his arm. - -“I’m going,” reiterated Don. “Come along.” - -Teddy had the alternative of accompanying his comrade or staying -behind, and he chose the former. He had never yet deserted Don in a -crisis, and he was not going to do it now. - -The boys advanced slowly in the pitch darkness, feeling their way inch -by inch. And that caution was justified when Don, putting out his foot -tentatively, felt nothing beneath it and hurriedly drew back. - -“Back, Teddy!” he warned. “There’s a break here.” - -He knelt down and reached his hand over into the opening as far down as -he could, without coming in contact with anything. - -“I wonder how deep it is,” he pondered. “Oh, if we only had a light of -some kind.” - -He took a bunch of keys from his pocket and found an old one belonging -to the house at Hillville which he could dispense with. - -“I’ll throw this in,” he said, “and we can tell from the sound when it -strikes how deep the hole is.” - -He dropped the key and they listened. The seconds passed. Then far, far -down, they heard a faint tinkling, as the key struck a rock. - -They recoiled from the brink in consternation. - -“Why, it’s almost bottomless!” exclaimed Teddy. “It must be hundreds -and hundreds of feet deep!” - -“Right you are, Brick,” agreed Don soberly. “If we’d fallen in there, -there wouldn’t have been anything left but a grease spot. We can’t go -any further, and we might as well go back.” - -“That must be where the g--the creature lives,” observed Teddy, as they -again reached the large room. - -“I’m glad you didn’t say ‘ghost’ that time,” laughed Don. “Yes, that’s -the spot it seemed to come from.” - -The mere fact that they had tried to “take the bull by the horns,” -as Teddy put it, was in itself a bracing element, and they had less -trouble in getting to sleep than they had had the night before. - -But the morning brought with it the grim fact that they were face to -face with actual starvation. Their last morsel of food and last drop -of water, miserably insufficient as they were, disappeared. They were -suffering intensely, and each was shocked as he looked at the sunken -cheeks and hollow eyes of the other. - -Their thirst, especially, was overpowering. The tightening of their -belts helped in some degree to make them forget their hunger, but no -such resource could abate their thirst. - -They were tormented with visions of sparkling springs and flowing -rivers. Their thoughts went back to that night on the balcony of -Phalos’s villa when they heard the tinkling of the fountains in the -courtyard and watched the ripples on the surface of the Nile. There, -was water in plenty. What would they not have given now for a single -drop to moisten their cracked lips and swollen tongues! - -“We’ve just got to find our way out to-day, old boy,” said Don in -desperation. “Another day or two and we’ll be too weak to do anything -but lie here and die.” - -They started out, summoning all their energy and examining every room -and every passage that seemed to offer the slightest chance of an exit. -But the morning dragged away without result, and with every hour they -grew more feverish and weak. - -About noon, as nearly as they could guess from the light, Don’s eyes -lighted on a stone that seemed to have fallen slightly away from its -fellows in the corner of a passage. He grasped it, and it gave slightly -under his hand. - -He shouted to Teddy, and together they pulled and hauled sufficiently -to make an opening through which they could pull themselves. They were -panting and exhausted when they drew themselves up and looked about -them. - -They found themselves in what seemed to have been a receiving vault of -the long ago. There were three broad shelves, on which were resting -sarcophagi that seemed to have been placed there temporarily, awaiting -perhaps a more ceremonious burial later. - -Don gave a shout, as his eyes rested on them. - -“Gold!” he exclaimed, looking from the lids of the coffins to the -slender pillars that adorned the structure. “Gold! Look at them, Brick! -As bright and untarnished as the day they were placed here. Brick, old -boy, we’ve come across a treasure!” - -For a time the lads were filled with a wild elation, and they moved -rapidly from one object to another, handling, examining, tracing the -curious inscriptions. - -Then the stark reality of their situation came back to them. What good -was their wonderful discovery, after all? What could it do for them? - -Here they had happened on wealth that would buy them the most sumptuous -banquets that the world could provide. It gave them everything--and -nothing. - -“Starving to death with all this gold about us!” muttered Teddy -bitterly. “I’d give it all for a cup of water.” - -“The poorest beggar with his crust on the steps of a mosque is better -off than we are,” agreed Don moodily. - -He bowed his head in his hands. Then suddenly he raised it again. What -was that he heard? - -He listened intently, and hope shot into his eyes. But he had heard of -the fancies of the victims of thirst and he was afraid. Was he growing -delirious? - -“Brick,” he said huskily to his friend, who sat hunched up in a corner. -“Listen, and tell me if you hear anything.” - -Inspired by the new tone in Don’s voice, Brick sat up. - -“It--it sounds like falling water!” he exclaimed, in an awed voice. -“Oh, Don, are we going crazy?” - -“Come,” cried Don, staggering with weakness, but hurrying as fast as he -could in the direction of the sound. - -At a sudden turn in a passage the sound grew louder, and an instant -later their eyes fell on a small stream of water, dashing over a rocky -bed. - -With a wild cry of delight, the boys threw themselves on the brink of -the stream and plunged their heads into the cooling water. Then they -drank avidly until Don, remembering caution, pulled Teddy back with -main force. - -“Easy, old boy,” he laughed happily. “Take your time. You’ll get into -trouble if you drink too much after being without it so long. The -stream isn’t going to run away.” - -The soundness of this appealed to Teddy, and he refrained for a time. -But again and again they plunged their heads into the water, each time -feeling new life thrill through every vein. - -At last Don sprang up and threw off his coat. - -“I’m going in all over,” he cried. “And, oh, what a bath this is going -to be! Come along, Brick, and see who’ll be in--” - -He stopped as though transfixed. - -On the other side of the stream sat a man, looking at him curiously. - -A wild cry burst from Don’s lips. - -“Father!” he cried. “Father!” - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -A JOYFUL REUNION - - -Don plunged into the stream, which was only a couple of feet deep, -and waded over to the other side, uttering incoherent exclamations of -wonder and delight. - -The man watched his coming with a dawning look of recognition in his -eyes. He brushed his hand over his face, as though to clear his mind of -some bewilderment. He was standing when Don got to him. - -Don threw his arms about him and hugged him convulsively. - -“Father! Father!” he reiterated again and again, holding the man -tightly as though he feared he would vanish. “I’ve found you at last! -Oh, I’ve found you at last!” - -Mr. Sturdy returned his son’s embrace, at first in a perfunctory way. -Then, suddenly, as though the floodgates of memory had been opened, his -clasp tightened. All the hunger of his heart, long separated from his -boy, found expression in his voice. - -“Don, my dear boy! Don, how glad I am to see you again!” - -They remained a long time embraced, uttering words of endearment, -and then Don, his face wet with happy tears, released his hold and -stepped back, in order that he might see the dear face for which he had -searched over a large part of the world. - -It was a fine face, cleanly chiseled, with splendid forehead and dark, -piercing, but kindly, eyes. The form was like that of his brother -Frank’s, tall, sinewy and powerful. His complexion was as bronzed as -that of an Indian from his work as an explorer under many suns. But the -black hair that Don remembered was now heavily streaked with silver. - -“But how comes it that you are in Brazil, my dear boy?” asked his -father. “I thought you were at home in Hillville. I was counting on -seeing you again as soon as Mr. Clifton had his yacht ready to sail.” - -From the first mention of Brazil, Don had been thinking rapidly. It was -evident that the happy shock of seeing Don had in some way swept away -the knowledge of this present Egyptian adventure and carried his father -back again to Mr. Clifton’s plantation. - -Don knew little of mental science, but he knew instinctively that any -revelation he might make to his father of the real condition of things -must be made gradually and tactfully. - -“Oh, I got impatient to see you,” he said, with perfect truth. “And -as Uncle Frank and Uncle Amos were coming to Brazil on a hunting -expedition, I got them to bring me along.” - -“Fine!” declared his father. “Your mother will be as delighted as I -am to see you sooner than she expected. But perhaps you have seen her -already?” - -“Oh, yes, I’ve seen her,” replied Don, who found himself getting into -deep waters. - -He looked up and saw Teddy near by, and welcomed him as a diversion. - -“This is my friend, Teddy Allison, Father,” Don introduced him. - -“Any friend of Don’s is a friend of mine,” said Mr. Sturdy genially, as -he took Teddy’s extended hand. “What do you think of Brazil, as far as -you’ve seen it?” - -Poor Teddy, who had never laid eyes on Brazil, was nonplused. Don came -quickly to his relief. - -“He thinks it’s a mighty fine country; don’t you, Teddy?” he said -brightly. - -“Yes, indeed,” answered Teddy, clutching gratefully at the cue thrown -to him. “A very wonderful country.” - -“You’ll enjoy looking over Mr. Clifton’s plantation,” went on Mr. -Sturdy. “I’ll show you around it if you like. It’s a remarkable place.” - -To ease the situation, Don urged his father to tell them about the -wreck of the _Mercury_, and Mr. Sturdy did so. But there were certain -breaks and pauses in the narration, as though the story teller were -trying to reconcile certain things that bewildered him. - -Don’s mind was in a storm of conflicting emotions. The dominant feeling -was one of intense delight. His father at last was restored to him. But -his heart was torn with grief at his father’s distraught condition and -with perplexity as to how, if at all, he could bring him to a clear -conception of things as they were. - -“Guess perhaps we’d better go in and get dinner,” said Mr. Sturdy -genially. “Are you hungry?” - -Don and Teddy looked at each other. Were they hungry? - -“Though now I think of it I have some provisions here,” went on Mr. -Sturdy, and their hearts leaped. “The servants must have put up a -lunch for me when I came out into this grotto, though I don’t remember -bringing it. Why they wanted to put up so much I can’t imagine,” he -continued, as he went to a little distance and returned with a big bag -of food of various kinds. “But here it is. Help yourselves.” - -The boys dived into the bag, and brought out bread and meat and canned -supplies, which Don rightly conjectured were part of the equipment -with which his father had started on this strange expedition. - -It was like manna from the skies, and the poor starved boys had all -they could do to refrain from gorging it like wolves. But they knew -that in their condition this might prove fatal, and besides they had to -conserve the contents of the bag. - -So with a mighty effort they restrained themselves and ate but -sparingly, with new life flowing through their veins and new hope -springing in their hearts. - -What marvelous changes an hour had wrought! Many problems remained yet -to be solved, but they faced them with high hearts and renewed courage. -They felt equal to any fate. - -While they ate, Mr. Sturdy had been watching Don with deep affection in -his eyes. But his bewilderment persisted. Again and again he rubbed his -forehead in perplexity. - -“Do you know,” he said, when they had finished, “there’s something -queer about this grotto? It looks more like Egypt than Brazil.” - -Don thought the time had come to hazard a bold stroke. - -“It is Egypt,” he said quietly. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -IN THE LABYRINTH - - -All the culture and self-restraint acquired in years was stripped -from Zeta Phalos for the moment, even his religion dropped away, and -the superstition of his ancestors took possession of him, as he lay -moaning and beating his head on the floor of the cave in the hope of -propitiating the angry gods of his remote forebears who were making -those weird, ghost-like noises. - -It would have been idle for the captain and Professor Bruce to have -denied that they were terribly frightened. They were brave men who had -often faced death unflinchingly. But just now cold, stark terror had a -grip on their souls. - -Again that awful scream rang through the vaulted halls, and this time -after one mighty paroxysm of fear, the Egyptian lay still. He had -fainted. - -The necessity of doing something to help him broke the spell that had -fastened on his companions, and they sprang to his relief. They chafed -his hands and wrists. After a long time he opened his eyes, only to -close them again with a cry, as he remembered his experience. - -“The gods! The gods of my forebears!” he moaned. “They would not be -defied. They are punishing us for our presumption.” - -“Come, now! Come!” urged the captain, not unkindly, his own -self-possession having been restored to him by the necessity of action. -“Pull yourself together. After all, a sound doesn’t kill anybody.” - -It was a long time, however, before the old Egyptian regained his -composure. He maintained a listening attitude, and at intervals kept -casting uneasy glances toward the unseen body with the severed head -that lay there so quietly, but, as he thought, so menacingly, in the -darkness. - -The professor rightly interpreted his thought. - -“It won’t do any harm to remove the mummy to some other place, Frank,” -he suggested quietly to his brother. “They used to pass them around at -Egyptian banquets to remind the diners of the brevity of life. But to -my mind they’re not very cheerful adjuncts of a feast.” - -The captain agreed, and together he and Professor Bruce took the -mummy into a distant passage and laid the poor relic of humanity down -reverently. - -The act itself and the fearlessness with which his companions went -about their distasteful work helped Phalos markedly to resume his usual -philosophical attitude. - -“Old traditions were too strong for me,” he murmured apologetically. -“Then, too, my years are telling on me and we’ve been under an unusual -strain to-day.” - -“I can well understand how you feel,” replied the professor with a -genial smile. “And I don’t mind admitting that I too was unnerved. What -do you think it was, Frank?” he asked, turning to his brother. - -“Can’t say,” replied the captain. “Of course, we’ll cut out right now -any suggestion of the supernatural. That yell had either a human or a -mechanical origin. It may have been some freak due to natural causes -and the configuration of these catacombs. Or it may have been a trick -to frighten us away on the part of some one who doesn’t dare meet us in -the open. As it stands, one guess is as good as another.” - -“If only it doesn’t come again!” ejaculated Phalos fervently. - -“Let’s hope it won’t,” returned the captain. He smiled grimly and -added: “I know when I’ve had enough. But if it does, it won’t be so -startling as the first time, for now we’re prepared for it. But now -that we’ve had our supper, what do you say to starting on again?” - -All agreed to this, but when Phalos tried to walk he found that his -trembling limbs would hardly support him. - -There was no help for it, and they had to defer their attempt until the -morning. They composed themselves to sleep as best they could, though -the captain, who always slept with one eye open, kept his rifle close -at hand so that he could clutch it instantly in case of need. - -Nothing occurred through the night to disturb them, however; and as -the old Egyptian woke refreshed and much stronger, they resumed their -search after they had partaken of a scanty meal and finished the rest -of Ismillah’s coffee. - -They wandered about, examining every passage that seemed to promise -results, only to have their souls made sick by hope deferred. As far -as they could, they endeavored to keep within a small radius of the -despoiled tomb, for the diagram of Phalos had made it probable that the -royal tomb of Ras-Ameses was somewhere in its vicinity. - -The entire day passed without success, and it was a disgruntled trio -that, when night came, sought once more the room in which they had -passed the night before. - -Their provisions were dwindling, and their forced abstinence was -already compelling them to feel the pangs of hunger and thirst. - -“Glad the boys are not in here with us,” remarked the captain. “With -their young healthy appetites they’d feel this a mighty sight worse -than we do. At least they’ll have plenty of provisions in the camp with -Ismillah and Abdul.” - -“I’ve been worrying about them all day,” said the professor, his brow -creased with anxiety. “There hasn’t been a moment when they were absent -from my thoughts.” - -“Same here,” admitted the captain. “Though both the boys are better -able to take care of themselves than any other I’ve ever seen.” - -That night the awful shriek came again, rising in hideous crescendo and -dying away in moans that chilled the blood. Fear once more laid its -icy hand on their hearts, but this time they were prepared for it and -inwardly defied it, even Phalos controlling, outwardly at least, his -terror. - -About noon the next day an exclamation from Professor Bruce brought the -other two hurrying to his side. - -They found him standing before a perfectly square stone construction -measuring exactly thirty-six feet on every side. It was of polished -granite, with the blocks fitted into each other so perfectly that the -seams were scarcely visible. - -With trembling fingers, the professor and Phalos consulted the -manuscript and compared it with the symbols that were carved on the -nearer side. A shout of triumph burst simultaneously from their lips. - -“Eureka!” shouted the professor. “We have found it! The tomb of -Ras-Ameses!” - -“The greatest of the Tombs of Gold!” cried Phalos exultantly. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -A BEWILDERING EXPERIENCE - - -When Don declared that they were in Egypt, Mr. Sturdy looked at his son -as if he doubted his sanity. - -“What do you mean?” he asked. “Are you fooling?” - -“Listen, Father dear,” said Don, with an inward prayer for guidance. -“You’ve been ill for a while, very ill, and during that illness you -were brought to Egypt. Mother came with you, so that it was all right. -And before I say anything else, let me tell you that mother and Ruth -are well and happy--that is, they will be perfectly happy when you are -with them once again. Won’t that be great, Father, all of us together -again in the dear old home at Hillville?” - -“But--what--but--” stammered Don’s father, trying to assimilate the new -and to some extent terrifying ideas that came crowding in upon him. “Do -you mean to say that I have been unconscious all this time?” - -“Not unconscious, Father,” replied Don. “But--but in a kind of daze, -as it were. And when you got to Egypt you wanted to go on with the work -you had been doing before the war--you know, excavating in the Valley -of the Kings.” - -“The Valley of the Kings!” exclaimed Mr. Sturdy. “Yes, I remember that -I did a good deal of work there in the old days. I was looking, I -remember, for a special tomb--that of Ras-Ameses. Of course,” he added -hurriedly, “I want you to keep that a secret between you and me. Don’t -mention that name to anybody. Some day I hope to go looking for it -again.” - -“You have been looking for it, Father,” said Don gently. “While your -mind was in a daze, you know. And I believe you’ve found it. I believe -you’re in it now.” - -There was such a look of utter bewilderment on his father’s face that -Don’s heart ached. - -“But don’t try to get the rights of it just now,” went on Don, rising. -“There’ll be plenty of time for that. The only thing that counts is -that I’ve got you again. Come and look at what Teddy and I found this -morning,” he said. “Come along, Teddy,” he added. “And suppose you -bring that bag of provisions along with you.” - -“Will I?” returned Teddy. “Just watch me! I’ll cling to it like the ivy -to the oak.” - -As Don, with his heart beating high, walked along beside his father, he -was delighted to note the springiness of step and vigor of movement -that testified to his parent’s superb physical condition. That, he -knew, would be one of the most important factors in restoring him to -mental health. - -There was the enthusiasm of the skilled Egyptologist in the -exclamations with which Mr. Sturdy viewed the wonders that the boys had -discovered that morning. His delight was unbounded, and he confirmed -without question the boys’ estimate of the wealth of their discovery. - -But all the time the battle was going on between the dual -personality--the Sturdy of Brazil and the Sturdy of Egypt. It was -pitiful, and yet at the same time encouraging, to note the way that -trained intelligence of his was trying to reconcile the two and bring -order out of chaos. - -“Now, Father,” said Don, after a while, “suppose you come to the place -where Teddy and I have been roosting while we’ve been here, and lie -down and rest. That will give you a chance to think this thing out and -get your bearings. Oh, how happy I am to have you with me again!” he -added, giving him an affectionate hug. - -Mr. Sturdy welcomed the suggestion. What he wanted more than anything -else was an uninterrupted opportunity to think. Already he was piecing -things together, and under the severe stimulus his mental condition -was mending. - -All that long afternoon Don’s father lay awake, stretched out on his -back, trying to adjust himself to actual conditions. And it was not -until the dusk was gathering that Don called him to the simple supper -that he and Teddy had quietly prepared. - -“I ought to tell you, Father,” said Don, dwelling lovingly on the name -that he had so often longed to speak, “that we’ve had an unusual and -rather shivery experience each night since we’ve been here,” and he -went on to tell of the apparition. - -Mr. Sturdy listened with interest. - -“I don’t wonder you were frightened,” he said. “It was enough to -terrify any one. I’m glad you told me about it. Forewarned is -forearmed. It won’t be pleasant to see or listen to, but it’s very -different from having it take you unawares.” - -But even though prepared, they were all chilled to the marrow when, an -hour later, that frightful shriek was heard and they saw the sheeted -figure advancing toward them. - -Even as they shrank back before the menacing monster, a shot rang out, -and the apparition wavered for a moment and disappeared. - -The three of them sprang to their feet in wild amazement. - -“Who fired that shot?” cried Don. “Did you, Father?” - -“No,” replied his father. “I have no rifle. I thought it was you.” - -“I haven’t any either,” replied Don. “Uncle Frank! Uncle Frank!” he -shouted, in uncontrollable excitement. - -There was a shout of surprise from a passage near at hand, and the next -moment the captain, with a flashlight in his hand, followed by the -professor and Phalos, came rushing up and threw his arms about Don. - -“My dear, dear boy!” he exclaimed, with his voice husky with emotion. - -“But see, Uncle Frank! Uncle Amos!” cried Don. “Here’s father! Don’t -you recognize him? I’ve found my father!” - -The scene that took place for the next few minutes beggared -description. There were sounds of delight, grasps of the hand, slaps -on the back, incoherent questions tumbling over one another. Hardly -any one knew what he was doing or saying, but all knew that they were -supremely, overwhelmingly happy. - -“We’ve found you, Dick, old man; we’ve found you!” jubilated the -captain. “And, oh, the luck of it! We’ve found you in the Tombs of -Gold!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -RICHES BEYOND PRICE - - -It was a long time before the members of the party could settle down to -a narration of their respective adventures. A torch was secured from -the débris in the room of Horum-Aleb, and by its light they sat in a -group, so that they could see each other’s features as they talked. - -“How lucky it was that you decided to take a shot at the ghost--or -whatever it is,” remarked Don. “If it hadn’t been for that, we might -never have got together.” - -“I suppose the chief reason I shot at it, was to relieve my feelings,” -answered the captain, with a grin. “If it were anything human, it -deserved to be shot. If it were anything mechanical, I thought I might -disable the mechanism. We hadn’t seen the thing before to-night, but -we’d heard it, and I had judged just about where we’d find it, and my -guess was good. I’ll take a look around in the morning.” - -Don had snatched an opportunity to reveal to his uncles what he had -already told his father, and they acted with great tact and judgment -in evading risky subjects and yet including him in their expedition, as -if he knew all about it. - -The elders listened avidly, too, to the boys’ narration of what had -happened since they had been separated, and also to their story of the -gold objects they had found that morning. - -“Those alone would richly repay us for our trip,” observed the -professor exultantly, while the face of Phalos flushed with pleasure. -“If now we can add to them the things undoubtedly in the tomb of -Ras-Ameses--” - -“Ras-Ameses!” exclaimed Don. “Do you mean to say that you have found -it?” - -“Practically sure of it,” asserted the captain. “That’s all the good it -does us though, for the present,” he added, his face falling. “It’s so -solidly built it would take a charge of dynamite to blow it open.” - -“No door or opening of any kind?” queried Don. - -“Nothing that we’ve been able to discover so far,” was the reply. “But -we’re going at it again in the morning.” - -In the jubilation in which they all shared, they put aside for the -moment the fact that they were prisoners, doomed to perish inevitably -of hunger unless they could find an exit, for which all had hitherto -searched in vain. But every little while that grim terror slipped into -their thoughts, like a specter at a feast. - -They talked until late into the night, and they were delighted to note -the rapidity with which Don’s father was beginning to adjust himself to -conditions. Yet, every so often, there would be moments of confusion -that were baffling and saddening. - -The next morning after a hasty breakfast, in which Mr. Sturdy’s -stores played the greater part, all went to the supposed mausoleum of -Ras-Ameses. They examined every inch of it with the greatest care, but -found not the slightest clue to an entrance. - -“Suppose you hoist me up to the top,” suggested Don. - -They made a back for him, and he swung himself up. The top was flat, -and made of the same massive blocks as the sides. Nothing rewarded his -search. - -His announcement to that effect was received with glum silence. -It removed their last hope. They were thoroughly dispirited and -disheartened. - -As Don rested on the edge, he noticed a fretwork running along the -top, the only ornament that relieved the severity of the tomb. He ran -his hand along the edge, slowly, carefully, pressing in turn every -projection. - -Then a thrill ran through his veins. One of them had yielded, ever so -slightly, but it had yielded! - -He pressed upon it with all his might. And there, before the gazing -spectators, who stood spellbound with amazement, one of the great -blocks about four feet from the ground swung silently inward, revealing -an aperture about three feet in width and height. - -With an excited shout, the professor went through the opening, followed -one by one by the others, and they found themselves in the tomb of one -of the mightiest of the Pharaohs, on which no eyes had looked since it -had been sealed thousands of years before. - -Untold riches dazzled their eyes, as they looked about them. Gold, -gold, gold everywhere, in columns and tablets and coffin lids and -statues, in beds and chariots and boats and amulets, in chairs and -maces and scepters and symbols, gold in a profusion that stunned them -and took away their breath. And besides this immeasurable wealth, there -were other things quite as priceless, rings, robes, cups, whips, vases, -inlaid and encrusted with precious stones. And on a great golden slab -lay the sarcophagus of the mighty monarch who once possessed all these -treasures and had ordered them to be brought to his tomb as emblems of -his boundless wealth. - -Hours passed like minutes while the excited group passed from one -object to another, hardly daring to believe their good fortune, and -half fearing that they would wake and find it all a dream. They had -expected much, but this surpassed all their expectations. - -It was only weariness that reminded them that they had spent the whole -day in rejoicing over their wonderful discovery and suggested the need -of food and rest. - -“We owe it all to you, Don,” said the professor, as the excited and -happy group made their way back to the rendezvous. “If you hadn’t found -that spring--” - -“Just a bit of luck,” disclaimed Don modestly. - -“Was it just luck?” asked the captain pointedly. - -“Well, not exactly,” admitted Don. “The fact is, I remembered the way -King Cheops concealed the opening into his tomb in the Great Pyramid. I -thought the same thing might have been worked here, so I tried to feel -for it. But it was just luck I thought of it.” - -“Luck!” snorted the captain. “I call it brain. And about the finest -specimen of brain I know of is in the headpiece of a certain young -fellow named Don Sturdy!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -THE SLEEPWALKER - - -Naturally, there was one subject above all others discussed that night -as the explorers ate their meal and later, when they lay about and -relaxed from the strain of the day. - -But even more important than that was one that the captain had with -Don’s father, as he drew the latter a little apart from the group later -in the evening. - -“How are things shaping, Richard?” asked the captain, laying his hand -on his brother’s arm with an affectionate gesture. - -“I think I’m beginning to get matters in their true relations,” replied -Mr. Sturdy. “The discovery to-day has done a lot toward clearing things -up. I don’t recall a thing as yet about my voyage from Brazil to Egypt. -But I am beginning to remember some of the things that have occurred -since my reaching here. I can dimly recall the faces of some of the -workmen I employed. It’s still rather dreamlike, but it’s coming.” - -“That’s great!” exclaimed the captain. “It won’t be long at this rate -before the last haziness will have vanished. But there is one thing -especially that I wish you would try to remember. It’s a thing on which -the lives of all of us may depend. How did you get in here?” - -Richard Sturdy closed his eyes and tried to remember. But after a -prolonged effort, he opened his eyes and shook his head wearily. - -“I can’t do it, Frank,” he said. “The sudden blending of the -recollections of Brazil with those of Egypt has left me confused on -some points. I don’t yet remember anything of what passed just before I -found myself on the bank of the stream.” - -“Let me see if I can help you,” said his brother. “You heard Don -describe the way he got in, or rather fell into, this place. Did you -come in that way?” - -Richard Sturdy shook his head. - -“I’m sure I didn’t,” he answered. “I’d probably have some scratches and -bruises to show for it just as the boys have.” - -“Don’t you recall the one rock balanced on the other where we came in?” -persisted the captain. - -“All Greek to me,” was the reply. - -“I see,” said the captain. “Now, Richard,” he went on solemnly, “the -lives of all of us are in your hands. Somewhere, somehow, you found an -entrance into this place. We’ve searched for it in vain. Our provisions -will last for only a short time longer. When they are gone we shall -starve. Try, Richard, try to remember. Concentrate your mind on it. -Make a supreme effort.” - -“I will,” promised Richard Sturdy, deeply moved. “Oh, if my mind were -what it used to be! But I will make a desperate effort.” - -“Good!” encouraged the captain. “In the meantime we’ll call it a day -and settle down to sleep, so that you can think undisturbed.” - -A quiet word to the others and the talk subsided, and they stretched -out in slumber. - -But Richard Sturdy lay awake far into the night cudgeling his brain in -vain, and it was only toward morning that he fell exhausted into a deep -sleep. - -Just as the first faint streaks of dawn stole into the chamber Don was -awakened by the captain’s hand on his arm and the captain’s other hand -on his lips. - -“S--sh!” whispered his uncle, as Don sat up in surprise. - -Don followed the direction of his uncle’s eyes, and saw that his father -had risen, and was standing in a somewhat strained and unnatural -attitude. - -Richard Sturdy stood for a moment and turned his face first to the -right and then to the left. Don caught a glimpse of his eyes, and saw -that they had an expressionless appearance, almost as though they were -made of glass. - -Then his father started off with the stiff step of a soldier on parade, -down one of the passages that led off to the right. In an instant the -captain and Don were on their feet and following him on tiptoe. - -On Richard Sturdy went, until Don could hear the faint falling of the -water that had been such a blessed boon to him the morning before. - -His father followed the bank of the stream until he came to a place -where the little river seemed to lose itself through a narrow passage -into a small mound of earth. - -Without a moment’s hesitation, Mr. Sturdy stepped into the stream, -bent down until his back was in almost a horizontal position, and -disappeared under the mound. - -Don and the captain followed his example. Their faces almost touched -the water as they bent down, but there was still room for them to -breathe. - -A moment later, they emerged into an apartment of about twenty feet in -length and width. At one side it sloped gently upward. - -Richard Sturdy climbed the slope, bent over and pushed away a heavy -growth of bushes, and a rush of light and fresh morning air swept in -from the outside world. - -Don leaped into the air and was about to give utterance to a delighted -whoop, but the captain clapped his hand over his mouth. - -“Not a sound,” he whispered. “We mustn’t wake him.” - -So Don, though in his glee he fairly ached to shout and dance, was -forced to restrain himself. - -Richard Sturdy stood for a moment looking outside. Then, with the same -stiff, soldierly stride, he passed the silent watchers, retraced his -steps, and sank down in his former place with a deep drawn sigh. - -Then and only then did the captain and Don dare to give vent to their -delight. They shook hands vigorously, their faces beaming. Then they -wakened the others, and after cautioning them about disturbing Mr. -Sturdy, imparted the joyous news that threw them all into a delirium of -rapture. - -It was late when Don’s father awoke. - -“No use, Frank,” he said sadly, as his eyes encountered those of the -captain. “I’ve tried and tried, but I can’t think of the way I got in -here.” - -The captain took his hand. - -“You’ve already shown us, Richard,” he said gently. “You thought about -it so intently last night that it came to you in your sleep and you led -us to it. We are saved, Richard, and you are our savior.” - -Then he narrated briefly and simply the events of the night. Mr. -Sturdy was overwhelmed, though in his joy there was a tincture of -embarrassment. - -Apart altogether from the value of his service, unconscious as it -was, the fact that he had saved the party was of immense benefit in -helping Don’s father to recover his mental balance. Knowing dimly -his infirmity, he had had a sense of dependence, of uselessness, of -inferiority, and had felt that he was more or less of a burden on the -others. He feared to look into the future. But the service he had -done them removed this feeling altogether, and from that time on his -progress was rapid. - -They could now eat freely, not only of Mr. Sturdy’s provisions, but Don -and Teddy served for communication with Ismillah and Abdul, bringing in -supplies daily, though taking the utmost precautions to see that they -were not followed. - -They were uneasy at learning, however, that though the servants had not -been molested in their hidden retreat, they had frequently seen a band -of Bedouins ranging the vicinity, headed by Tezra and Nepahak, both of -whom were known to Ismillah. - -Don had recovered his own rifle, and on reporting the facts gained -from Ismillah, had been directed by the captain to bring plenty of -ammunition from their store and enough rifles to equip every member of -the party. - -Nearly a week was required for the professor and Zeta Phalos, with -the assistance of the others, to catalogue the treasures of the tomb -for submission to the Egyptian Government. A great many of the most -portable of these were packed to carry along with them, as proofs of -their discovery. - -On the night before they planned to leave, they were engaged in an -earnest conversation about their future movements when once again -the horrible shriek brought them to their feet and the dreadful -figure, more frightful, it seemed to them, than ever, seemed to move -threateningly toward them, its banshee wail arousing a thousand echoes. - -The captain reached for his gun and fired, and the figure vanished. - -“Come along!” called the captain, as he seized a torch and rushed in -that direction. “We’ll settle this thing right here and now!” - -The others, all except Phalos, followed with torches and flashlights, -and found the captain standing on the brink of a chasm. - -They looked over fearfully, and then the captain broke into a gale of -laughter. - -“There’s your ghost!” he cried. “Look at him!” and he pointed to a -large platform made of reeds and covered with a white sheet on which -some phosphorescent substance had been daubed, hanging a little below -the brink of the chasm. - -“And I winged him too with that shot,” the captain chuckled, as he -pointed to a broken hinge, the brightly gleaming shattered edge of -which showed that the break had been recent. “Come here, Phalos,” he -shouted, “and look at your ghost.” - -The old Egyptian, reassured by the laughter, came forward and looked -rather sheepishly at the discredited “ghost.” - -“Simplicity itself,” declared the professor, “and yet ingenious too. -There’s no doubt the thing was designed to frighten off intruders. You -see the thing is made of reeds, through which the wind plays, something -on the principle of an Æolian harp, only in this case they were so -arranged as to produce discords instead of harmonies. When the night -wind springs up, there’s a tremendous draught comes up this funnel-like -chasm, as you can tell by putting your hand over the edge. When an -unusually heavy gust comes, it sends this thing up into the air with -its phosphorescent sheet and other fixings.” - -“But it will never fly up again,” cried the captain. “I’ve broken one -of its wings. Here goes the other.” - -His rifle cracked and the remaining hinge snapped. There was a moment’s -fluttering, and then the whole hideous contraption sank out of sight -forever to the bottom of the abyss. - -The next morning the explorers bade farewell to the Tombs of Golds, -and passed out into the open. It took them several hours to get out -their precious burdens, and several more to get them packed on the -extra camels they had brought along for pack purposes. - -They were making their way down the rocks with the last consignment -when a squad of rough-looking riders, about a score in number, came in -sight from around a stony slope a quarter of a mile away. - -“Down!” cried the captain, setting the example. - -The others sought to obey, but, encumbered as they were by their -burdens, could not do it so quickly as to avoid detection. - -That they had been seen was plain from the actions of the riders, who -pulled their mounts to a sudden halt, and two or three of whom, who -appeared to be the leaders, gathered in excited discussion. - -Then, the conference at an end, the newcomers rode on slowly and came -to a pause at the foot of the slope where the explorers had chosen -their position behind the rocks, not more than two hundred feet away. - -In the front, like birds of ill omen, rode Tezra and Nepahak. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -VICTORY AGAINST ODDS - - -Don was sheltered by a rock immediately adjoining the one behind which -his Uncle Frank was lying, and he could hear the latter grit his teeth -as he caught sight of the two rascals. - -“The spawn!” the captain muttered. “I’ll have a crack at each of them -before the day is over.” - -Tezra detached himself from the fierce-eyed, hawk-nosed tribesmen that -formed his lawless following, and, waving a white cloth, advanced -toward the foot of the slope. - -“I’d like to shoot it out of his hand,” growled the captain. - -But an envoy’s flag, even when held by a scoundrel, is sacred, and the -captain reluctantly rose to his feet. - -“Keep him covered,” he commanded, and turned toward Tezra. - -“What do you want?” he demanded curtly. - -“A share of the treasure you have found,” replied Tezra. - -“I like your impudence,” returned the captain. “On what ground?” - -“Because we are the stronger,” was the cynical avowal. “We are many and -you are few.” - -“And if I refuse?” - -“We will come and take it and wipe you out.” - -“And if I surrender it to you?” - -“We will let you go with your lives.” - -“Now listen to me, you scoundrel,” blazed forth the captain. “My answer -is ‘no’. A thousand times, no! You can’t have anything except over our -dead bodies.” - -“You are going to your death,” snarled Tezra. “We are twenty to six. -You have no chance.” - -“You and Nepahak will go with us then,” retorted the captain. “You have -my answer. Come and take us.” - -The discomfited envoy, with a scowl, returned to his companions, and an -animated debate ensued. - -Tezra and Nepahak, their red fezzes shining brightly in the sun, could -be seen moving here and there, evidently urging a course of action to -which some of the others objected. - -“I’m going to throw a scare into those fellows,” declared the captain. -“Don, do you see that tassel at the side of Tezra’s fez?” - -“Yes,” replied Don, getting his rifle ready. - -“Clip it,” the captain commanded. “I’ll take the button on the fez of -Nepahak. Fire when I give the word.” - -They took careful aim. - -“Fire!” - -The shots rang out simultaneously. The button was shorn neatly from -Nepahak’s fez, and the tassel fell from the side of the fez of Tezra as -though it had been clipped with shears. - -A chorus of shouts went up from the tribesmen and they threw themselves -from their mounts, crouching on the further side of the animals for -shelter. Tezra and Nepahak, their faces blanched, quickly did the same. - -“We could have sent those through your heads just as easily,” shouted -the captain, “but we do not want your blood on our hands.” - -That the marvelous shooting had had its effect was evident from -the long pause that ensued. Don began to hope that the “bluff” had -succeeded. - -But the hope of loot had been too long nourished and the disparity -in numbers was too great for the robbers to abandon their project so -easily. It was unlikely that all of the little forlorn hope of six were -equally good marksmen. - -Gradually the camels, under the prodding of their hidden masters, began -to move slowly toward the base of the slope so as to diminish the -distance when the time came to charge. It would have been easy to bring -some of the camels down, but the explorers stayed their hands. - -“They’re coming now!” exclaimed the captain, as his practiced eye -saw that they were gathering for a rush. “Don’t show an inch more of -yourselves that you can help. Fire to wound but not to kill, on this -first rush. A man put out of action counts for as much as a dead one. -Fire when I give the order, and then keep on firing.” - -A score of rifles suddenly appeared above the camels’ backs, and a -volley of bullets came pattering against the rocks. Then, with a loud -shout, the Bedouins abandoned their shelters and rushed forward, firing -as they came. - -“Fire!” cried the captain. - -Six rifles cracked and each missile found a mark. Don had picked out -Nepahak, and caught him in the leg. The captain sent a bullet through -Tezra’s shoulder. Mr. Sturdy brought down the Bedouin chief. The -others, at such close range, could hardly miss, and they did not. - -The tribesmen wavered as they saw their leaders go down. Another volley -wrought havoc in their ranks, and they broke and ran to the shelter of -their camels. No bullets pursued them, as the explorers wanted to limit -the casualties as much as possible. - -“Do you think they will rush us again, Uncle Frank?” asked Don, as he -reloaded. - -“Not likely; though they may,” was the reply. “And they may have -reinforcements in the vicinity who will be attracted by the sound of -the shooting. Hark! What’s that?” - -There was the sound of a bugle in the distance, and a few minutes later -a squad of Egyptian cavalry galloped up, a smart looking officer riding -at their head. - -At the first bugle note, the unwounded tribesmen mounted their camels -and scurried away as fast as their beasts could carry them. - -The young officer swung himself from the saddle and looked about at the -wounded men, who gave ample evidence that a skirmish had occurred. - -The Americans, accompanied by Phalos, advanced to meet him. A short -colloquy followed, and the situation was cleared up satisfactorily. The -squad was a Government patrol sent out to subdue lawless bands that had -of late been giving much trouble. - -“You’ve done some of our work for us,” the officer declared, as he -supervised the work of gathering up the bandits. None had been killed, -though some of the wounds were painful. - -If looks could have killed, the party would certainly have perished -beneath the baleful glances cast at them by Tezra and Nepahak, who, -shortly afterward, were sentenced to ten years at hard labor. - -The offer of the young officer to escort the exploring party to Luxor -was accepted, and they reached the city with their precious freight in -safety. The dahabiyeh of Phalos conveyed them to Cairo, and there they -made their report to the Egyptian Government, which immediately set a -guard about the tomb of Ras-Ameses. - -The announcement of the discovery to the world created a tremendous -sensation, and honors were showered without stint on the discoverers. -The usual arrangement was made, whereby a certain share of the -treasures went to the Government and the rest was equally divided among -the members of the party, making every one of them rich beyond their -dreams. - -But richer far to Don was his finding of his father, a fact that he -cabled at the first possible moment to the wife and daughter waiting -in America. The delirious joy that the news brought into the Hillville -home was beyond expression. Answering cables came, brimming with -happiness and affection, and urging the voyagers to hasten home. - -Teddy, too, had got in instant communication with his father, and the -answer received removed all apprehension he might have had as to his -escapade. - -“Guess that spanking has gone into the discard,” he grinned, as he read -his message. “Dad seems to think that his wandering boy is the goods, -after all.” - -As Don reviewed the events of those stirring weeks, he felt that he -never again would meet with such exciting adventures. But that he was -mistaken will be seen in the next book of this series, entitled: “Don -Sturdy Across the North Pole; or, Cast Away in the Land of Ice.” - -Their parting with Phalos was a cause of keen regret to all of them, -for they had learned to regard the old Egyptian with the deepest -affection. The feeling was reciprocated, and he bade them farewell with -the greatest reluctance, after making them promise that they would make -his villa their home on any future visit to Egypt. - -The voyage home was a swift and prosperous one, and the reception they -had when they reached Hillville was one never to be forgotten. It was -a red letter day in that household when Mr. Sturdy, almost wholly -recovered, gathered his wife and daughter in his arms. Happiness had -proved a wonderful tonic, and Mrs. Sturdy was herself again while the -roses were once more blooming in Ruth’s cheeks. - -A skillful surgeon found a way to cure Mr. Sturdy utterly by removing a -splinter of skull that had been pressing on the brain, and then indeed -the Sturdy home became an earthly paradise. - -Don’s exploits made him a hero with the other members of the -household, Dan and Mrs. Roscoe and Jennie, whose delight at the return -of the adventurers was only less keen than that of Ruth and Mrs. -Sturdy. Jennie, especially, threatened to create a scarcity in the -gum market, as she vigorously worked her jaws while listening with -delicious shivers to the story of his wanderings in the tomb of the -monarch, whom she persisted in calling “Ras-Paresis.” - -Don shone with an added luster also in the eyes of Fred and Emily -Turner. But he laughingly evaded the pedestal on which they sought to -place him. - -“It’s dad who deserves all the credit,” he said. “I only fell into the -Tombs of Gold. It was dad who led us out.” - - -THE END - - - - -_This Isn’t All!_ - - -Would you like to know what became of the good friends you have made in -this book? - -Would you like to read other stories continuing their adventures and -experiences, or other books quite as entertaining by the same author? - -On the _reverse side_ of the wrapper which comes with this book, you -will find a wonderful list of stories which you can buy at the same -store where you got this book. - - -_Don’t throw away the Wrapper_ - -_Use it as a handy catalog of the books you want some day to have. -But in case you do mislay it, write to the Publishers for a complete -catalog._ - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - - Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - - Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. - - Archaic or variant spelling has been retained. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DON STURDY IN THE TOMBS OF -GOLD *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where - you are located before using this eBook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that: - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/69398-0.zip b/old/69398-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 379d676..0000000 --- a/old/69398-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69398-h.zip b/old/69398-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f83c746..0000000 --- a/old/69398-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69398-h/69398-h.htm b/old/69398-h/69398-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index df730fe..0000000 --- a/old/69398-h/69398-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8401 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html> -<html lang="en"> -<head> - <meta charset="UTF-8"> - <title> - Don Sturdy in the Tombs of Gold, by Victor Appleton—A Project Gutenberg eBook - </title> - <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> - <style> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} -hr.tiny {width: 10%; margin-left: 45%; margin-right: 45%;} -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -@media print { hr.chap {display: none; visibility: hidden;} } - -div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} -h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - -.tdr {text-align: right;} - -.pagenum { - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; - font-weight: normal; - font-variant: normal; - text-indent: 0; -} - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 17.5%; - margin-right: 17.5%; -} - -.x-ebookmaker .blockquot { - margin-left: 7.5%; - margin-right: 7.5%; -} - -.bbox {border: 2px solid; padding: 1.5em;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - -.u {border-bottom: 6px double;} - -.ph1 {text-align: center; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;} -.ph2 {text-align: center; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;} -.ph3 {text-align: center; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;} - -div.titlepage {text-align: center; page-break-before: always; page-break-after: always;} -div.titlepage p {text-align: center; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 2em;} - -.xlarge {font-size: 150%;} -.large {font-size: 125%;} - -.gap {padding-left: 8em;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold; text-align: center;} - -.x-ebookmaker .hide {display: none; visibility: hidden;} - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; - page-break-inside: avoid; - max-width: 100%; -} - -.poetry-container {text-align: center;} -.poetry {display: inline-block; text-align: left;} - -@media print { .poetry {display: block;} } -.x-ebookmaker .poetry {display: block;} - -.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - font-size:smaller; - margin-left: 17.5%; - margin-right: 17.5%; - padding: 1em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; } - -</style> -</head> -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Don Sturdy in the Tombs of Gold, by Victor Appleton</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Don Sturdy in the Tombs of Gold</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>or The old Egyptian's great secret</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Victor Appleton</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Illustrator: Walter S. Rogers</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: November 20, 2022 [eBook #69398]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: David Edwards, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DON STURDY IN THE TOMBS OF GOLD ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter hide"><img src="images/coversmall.jpg" width="450" alt=""></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/frontis.jpg" alt=""></div> - -<p class="caption">“GET YOUR RIFLES READY,” COMMANDED THE CAPTAIN.<br> - -<i>Don Sturdy in the Tombs of Gold.</i><span class="gap"> <i>Page <a href="#Page_132">132</a></i></span></p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/titlepage.jpg" alt=""></div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="titlepage"> -<h1> -DON STURDY IN THE<br> -TOMBS OF GOLD</h1> - -<p><small>OR</small><br> -<br> -<span class="xlarge">The Old Egyptian’s Great Secret</span></p> - -<p><small>BY</small><br> - -<span class="large">VICTOR APPLETON</span><br> - -<span class="smcap">Author of “Don Sturdy on the Desert of Mystery,”<br> -“Don Sturdy Across the North Pole,” “Tom<br> -Swift and His Sky Racer,” “Tom Swift<br> -and His Photo Telephone,” Etc.</span></p> - -<p><i>ILLUSTRATED BY</i><br> -<span class="smcap">Walter S. Rogers</span></p> - -<p>NEW YORK<br> -<span class="large">GROSSET & DUNLAP</span><br> -PUBLISHERS</p> - -<hr class="tiny"> - -<p>Made in the United States of America</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="ph2">BOOKS FOR BOYS</p> - -<p class="center">By VICTOR APPLETON</p> - -<p class="center"><p class="center">12mo. Cloth. Illustrated.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p class="ph1">THE DON STURDY SERIES</p> - -<p>DON STURDY ON THE DESERT OF MYSTERY<br> -DON STURDY WITH THE BIG SNAKE HUNTERS<br> -DON STURDY IN THE TOMBS OF GOLD<br> -DON STURDY ACROSS THE NORTH POLE<br> -DON STURDY IN THE LAND OF VOLCANOES</p> - -<p class="ph1">THE TOM SWIFT SERIES</p> - -<p>TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE<br> -TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS<br> -TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE<br> -TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER<br> -TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL<br> -TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH<br> -TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING BOAT<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT OIL GUSHER<br> -TOM SWIFT AND HIS CHEST OF SECRETS</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p class="center">GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK</p> -</div></div></div></div> - -<p class="center">Copyright, 1925, by<br> -GROSSET & DUNLAP<br> -<br> -Don Sturdy in the Tombs of Gold</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_iii">[iii]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CONTENTS</h2> -</div> - -<table> -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>CHAPTER</small></td><td class="tdr" colspan="2"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">I</td><td> <span class="smcap">A Call For Help</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1"> 1</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">II</td><td> <span class="smcap">Like a Voice From the Grave</span>     </td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_10"> 10</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">III</td><td> <span class="smcap">Off For Egypt</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_18"> 18</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">IV</td><td> <span class="smcap">A Pair Of Scoundrels</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_27"> 27</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">V</td><td> <span class="smcap">A Villainous Plot</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_36"> 36</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">VI</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Fight In the Dark</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_46"> 46</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">VII</td><td> <span class="smcap">On the Trail</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_63"> 63</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">VIII</td><td> <span class="smcap">A Land Of Wonders</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_77"> 77</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">IX</td><td> <span class="smcap">Startling News</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_86"> 86</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">X</td><td> <span class="smcap">In Great Danger</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_95"> 95</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XI</td><td> <span class="smcap">A Dash For Liberty</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_103"> 103</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XII</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Night Prowler</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_115"> 115</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XIII</td><td> <span class="smcap">A Deadly Menace</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_127"> 127</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XIV</td><td> <span class="smcap">In Utter Darkness</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_138"> 138</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XV</td><td> <span class="smcap">A Frightful Apparition</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_144"> 144</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XVI</td><td> <span class="smcap">In the Grip Of Doom</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_149"> 149</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XVII</td><td> <span class="smcap">Trapped</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_155"> 155</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XVIII</td><td> <span class="smcap">A Night Of Horror</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_162"> 162</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_iv">[iv]</span></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XIX</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Man By the Stream</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_168"> 168</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XX</td><td> <span class="smcap">A Joyful Reunion</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_177"> 177</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XXI</td><td> <span class="smcap">In the Labyrinth</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_182"> 182</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XXII</td><td> <span class="smcap">A Bewildering Experience</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_188"> 188</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XXIII</td><td> <span class="smcap">Riches Beyond Price</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_193"> 193</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XXIV</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Sleepwalker</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_198"> 198</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XXV</td><td> <span class="smcap">Victory Against Odds</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_207"> 207</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">[1]</span></p> - -<p class="ph3">DON STURDY IN THE<br> - -TOMBS OF GOLD</p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER I<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">A Call for Help</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Then</span>, you think Dad really went to -Egypt?” asked Don Sturdy, with deep anxiety -in his tone, as he stood beside the desk where -his uncle, Professor Bruce, was carefully looking -over a mass of papers.</p> - -<p>“I’m inclined to think so, my boy,” replied -the professor, as he sat back in his chair and -ran his fingers through his hair. “Everything -seems to point that way, though we haven’t a -bit of positive proof. But we know, at least, -that the idea of going there was in his mind -when he rushed out of Clifton’s house in Brazil -shouting that he must go to Egypt.”</p> - -<p>“Still, that may have been the mere whim of -a deranged mind, forgotten almost as soon as -the words were spoken,” put in Captain Frank -Sturdy, another of Don’s uncles, as he turned -from the window through which he had been -looking.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">[2]</span>“True enough,” assented the professor. -“But we know from what Ruth told us that -for weeks he had been talking about the Valley -of the Kings in Egypt. It was, I believe, a -fixed idea that had taken possession of him. -And these papers I’ve been looking over explain -why he was so deeply interested in that -country.”</p> - -<p>He picked up the heap of manuscript as he -spoke, and selected some papers from the -mass.</p> - -<p>“There’s no collected story here,” he remarked; -“simply a lot of memoranda scribbled -on whatever he had at hand, old telegraph -blanks, backs of envelopes, and the like. They -bear upon a trip that Richard took to Egypt -several years ago. The magic of the country -seems to have captivated him. But there’s -something more than the awakened interest of -a tourist in them. They’re aflame with the ardor -of a discoverer. He seems to have been -right on the brink of some remarkable find—so -remarkable, in fact, that he feared to commit it -to paper lest it should get into hands for which -it was not intended.”</p> - -<p>“I remember now,” broke in Captain -Sturdy, “that when he got back from that trip -he seemed strangely excited. But I could -never get much out of him about it. He’d talk -about it in a general way, but whenever it came -to details he’d change the subject. I gathered<span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[3]</span> -that he meant to go back the next year, but the -war came and that put an end to his plans for -the time.”</p> - -<p>“He seemed to have spent most of his time -among the tombs,” resumed the professor. -“There is one he mentions that was fifty-two -feet long, thirty-one feet wide, the sides of -which were entirely covered with paintings, -while the roof, twenty-four feet high, was -adorned with a hundred squares of over a -dozen different designs. There’s a diagram of -it here.”</p> - -<p>“What do you gather from that?” asked the -captain.</p> - -<p>“Nothing much in itself,” was the reply. -“But at the end of the description are the -words: ‘This is not the one. Must look further.’ -And there are several other descriptions -of tombs scattered through the papers, -each with this little note of disappointment at -the end. It seems clear to me that Richard -was hunting eagerly for one particular tomb -and desperately anxious to find it.”</p> - -<p>“What for, do you suppose?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“What he wanted to find it for or what he -expected to find in it I don’t know. It may -have been gold or scarabs or alabaster vases -or amulets or any of the thousand things that -make some of those tombs veritable treasure -houses. But whatever it was, his mind was -centered on it. It may have become a sort of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[4]</span> -obsession. Then, when his head was hurt in -that accident at the time of the shipwreck, -that one overpowering desire to get back to -Egypt may have come to the front and been -too strong to be resisted.”</p> - -<p>“Even if he did go there,” said Don, in perplexity, -“it’s strange that nothing has been -heard of him. He had to live somewhere, must -have registered at some hotel. Yet all the consuls -in the various cities have investigated and -can find no traces of any one named Sturdy.”</p> - -<p>“He may have used some other name,” suggested -the professor. “It’s quite possible -that he’d forgotten his own. Cases of amnesia -are common enough, when a man forgets all his -past history, even his name.”</p> - -<p>“But if mother had been with him, she’d -have set that all right,” objected Don.</p> - -<p>“True enough,” replied the professor. “But -how do we know that she was with him? All -we know is that she ran out after him into the -night. We cannot be sure that he didn’t elude -her.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, shall we ever be able to solve the mystery?” -cried Don, in desperation.</p> - -<p>“Yes, we will,” declared the captain heartily, -as he placed his hand encouragingly on his -nephew’s shoulder. “Keep up your heart, my -boy. Remember that we found your sister -Ruth when we had almost given up hope. And<span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">[5]</span> -with heaven’s help we’ll find your father and -mother too.”</p> - -<p>“To be sure we shall, even if we go to Egypt -to do it,” chimed in the professor. “We’ll -rake that country with a fine-toothed comb before -we’ll give up and admit that we’re -beaten.”</p> - -<p>The sound of the dinner bell broke up the -conference, and Don hastened to his room to -wash and to brush his hair.</p> - -<p>They were served at table by Jennie Jenks, -the maid of all work, who in her flittings to -and fro that afternoon had caught snatches of -the conversation and was bursting with the desire -to impart it to Mrs. Roscoe, the housekeeper -of the Sturdy home.</p> - -<p>“I guess we kin say good-bye to Mister Don -an’ his uncles,” she remarked, in one of her -migrations to the kitchen. “They’re all a goin’ -to the tomb.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Roscoe was so startled that she nearly -dropped the dish she was carrying from the -oven.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” she gasped. “Are -they sick?”</p> - -<p>“You wouldn’t think so if you seen the way -they was eatin’,” replied Jennie, shifting her -wad of chewing gum. “I mean they’re goin’ -to them Egypt tombs, where they’s alligaster -vases an’ omelets an’ things like that.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, you mean the tombs of the Pharaohs,”<span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">[6]</span> -said the motherly housekeeper, in great relief. -“They’ve been dead a long time.”</p> - -<p>“Mebbe,” admitted Jennie. “Though I -hadn’t even heard they was sick. But it just -beats all the way them men go trampin’ all -over the earth when they got a good home like -this. Here they jest got back from Brazil, an’ -lucky they was not to be et up by golcondas or -cannonballs, an’ instead of settlin’ down, -thankful like, they must be goin’ off lickety-switch -to another of them heathen places. Who -knows what’ll happen to ’em? Like as not -Mister Don may fall down into one of them -Egypt tombs an’ be squashed.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I guess not,” replied the housekeeper -soothingly. “He’s been in a good many tight -places and has come through all right.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” admitted Jennie. “But the picture -that goes to the well too often is broke at last. -An’ it jest makes my blood creep to think of -them goin’ to that Egypt place, where all them -plagues used to be.”</p> - -<p>“That was a long time ago,” remarked the -housekeeper. “I guess it’s all right now.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said Jennie, renewing her -attack on her chewing gum more vigorously -and shaking her head. “From all I’ve heard, -them Egyptians ain’t any better than they ort -to be.”</p> - -<p>“Who is?” asked Mrs. Roscoe mildly.</p> - -<p>“A feller took me to a movie once that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[7]</span> -showed all ’bout Egypt,” went on Jennie, ignoring -the question. “The big buildings was -so dark an’ gloomy they give me the shivers. -I ast the feller why they didn’t have electric -lights, an’ he tole me that they didn’t need electric -lights coz they had so many Israelites. I -ast him what they had to do with it, an’ he -only laughed an’ said he loved every bone in -my head.”</p> - -<p>“He had a lot to love, then,” put in Mrs. -Roscoe dryly.</p> - -<p>“An’ they was a picture of the ocean,” Jennie -continued, oblivious of the sarcasm, “an’ -the feller that was with me tole me that was -Pharaoh an’ his chariots an’ the children of -Israel crossing the Red Sea. I said, ‘Where’s -the children of Israel, I don’t see any,’ an’ he -said, ‘Oh, they’ve gone over’; an’ I said, ‘Well, -then, where’s Pharaoh and his chariots?’ an’ -he said, ‘Oh, they’ve gone under.’ I s’pose -that was the way of it since he said so, but it -didn’t seem just right somehow.”</p> - -<p>Just then Jennie was interrupted by a call -from the dining room and scurried away, saving -the housekeeper the necessity of listening -to any further details for the moment.</p> - -<p>Don finished his dinner and then went out -and sat down in a chair on the porch. It was a -beautiful summer evening, and in the great old -trees about the house the birds were singing -their vesper songs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[8]</span>Ordinarily the charm of the hour would have -appealed to Don, but now the outer peace only -helped to emphasize by contrast the ferment of -anxiety in his mind. Where was his father? -Where was his mother? Were they still alive? -What fate was keeping him without tidings of -his parents, dearer to him than life?</p> - -<p>A boy on a motorcycle came at a rapid gait -up the road. Don looked at him listlessly as -he neared, but with quickened interest when -he stopped at the gate.</p> - -<p>The messenger opened the gate and wheeled -his machine up the path.</p> - -<p>“Cap’n Sturdy in?” asked the boy.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Don. “Want to see him?”</p> - -<p>“Got a cablegram for him,” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“Uncle Frank!” called Don. “Will you step -here a minute? Something for you.”</p> - -<p>The captain came to the door, carrying in his -hand the evening newspaper he had been reading.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” he asked.</p> - -<p>The messenger handed him the envelope he -drew from his pocket. The captain signed for -it and tore it open.</p> - -<p>He ran his eyes over the message, and gave -a shout that brought Don to his feet in a -twinkling.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” he asked in surprise and some -alarm. “What’s the matter?”</p> - -<p>“Read it! Read it!” cried the captain, shoving<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[9]</span> -the message toward his nephew with a -hand that trembled.</p> - -<p>Don looked at it, and started as though he -had received an electric shock.</p> - -<p>“It’s from mother!” he cried. “It’s from -mother!”</p> - -<p>This was the way the message ran:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Strange disappearance of Richard. Must -have assistance. Cable immediately.</p> - -<p class="right">“<span class="smcap">Alice Sturdy.</span>”</p> -</div> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[10]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER II<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">Like a Voice from the Grave</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">From</span> mother!” shouted Don. “She’s -alive! A cablegram from mother!”</p> - -<p>He kissed the precious message and pressed -it to his heart. Happy tears were in his eyes. -The captain was scarcely less stirred.</p> - -<p>The commotion brought the professor hurrying -to the porch, as well as Don’s sister Ruth, -who, not yet fully recovered from her long illness, -stood like a frail lily, framed in the doorway.</p> - -<p>“What is it, Don?” she asked, clasping her -hands beseechingly. “I heard you say something -about mother? What has happened?”</p> - -<p>Don sprang to her side and led her to a -chair, where he seated her tenderly.</p> - -<p>“Good news, Ruth, glorious news!” he cried. -“We have a message from mother. She’s -alive! Think of it, Ruth! Mother’s alive and -we’re going to see her soon!”</p> - -<p>Ruth’s head drooped on his breast and she -fell into a passion of weeping. They let her -cry to her heart’s content, knowing they were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[11]</span> -tears that could bring balm and blessing. The -captain turned away, and the professor, to conceal -his emotion, blew his nose vigorously.</p> - -<p>The paroxysm passed, and Ruth, her eyes -shining through her tears, looked at Don.</p> - -<p>“What about Dad?” she asked.</p> - -<p>Don’s face clouded.</p> - -<p>“That news isn’t so good,” he answered. -“Mother says that he has mysteriously disappeared. -But we’ll find him, never fear. And, -anyway, we know that he is still alive—or was -up to within a very short time. When is that -cablegram dated, Uncle Frank?”</p> - -<p>“This morning,” answered the captain, -“and it comes from Alexandria. That shows -that they both reached Egypt from Brazil. It’s -probable that Richard has been missing for a -day or two only, or Alice would have cabled -sooner. I wish she had gone more into details. -But those will come later,” he added.</p> - -<p>“She has probably been short of money, and -cable tolls are expensive,” suggested the professor.</p> - -<p>“We’ll soon settle the money question!” exclaimed -the captain. “Dan,” he called to the -man of all work, who, together with Mrs. -Roscoe and Jenny, had been called out by the -excitement and stood near by, “get out the car -at once and drive me down to the village. I’ll -cable her a thousand dollars to-night, and tell<span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[12]</span> -her we’re coming to her by the first steamer we -can get.”</p> - -<p>Dan hurried away to the garage, while the -captain went into the house to get his hat.</p> - -<p>“Come into the house, my blessed lamb,” -said Mrs. Roscoe, her own face wet with happy -tears, as she folded Ruth in her motherly embrace -and led her inside.</p> - -<p>“My poor dear Missus!” blubbered Jenny, -as she followed them. “All alone out there in -the land of the Pigamids and the Spinach!”</p> - -<p>“I’m going with you, Uncle Frank!” cried -Don, as Dan brought the car up to the door.</p> - -<p>“Jump in,” said the captain, as he set the -example. Dan threw in the clutch and the car -whirled out of the gate.</p> - -<p>While uncle and nephew are speeding to respond -to that call for help from faraway -Egypt, it may be well, for the benefit of those -who have not read the preceding volumes of -this series, to tell who Don Sturdy was and -what had been his adventures up to the time -this story opens.</p> - -<p>Don was a lad of fourteen, unusually tall and -muscular for his age, with brown hair and -eyes and a fair complexion. He had been born -and brought up in Hillville, a thriving town in -an Eastern state, about fifty miles from New -York. The Sturdy house was of stone, as were -the barn, garage and other outbuildings, surrounded<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[13]</span> -by several acres of ground set out -with large trees.</p> - -<p>Some time before the beginning of the events -here narrated, Don’s father, Richard Sturdy, a -great traveler, had set out on an exploring expedition, -accompanied by his wife, Alice, and -by his daughter, Ruth, who was about two -years younger than Don. No word came from -them, nor did the ship <i>Mercury</i> on which they -had embarked reach port, and with the passage -of time it began to be feared that the <i>Mercury</i> -had gone down with all on board while rounding -Cape Horn. The blow was a terrible one -to Don, who dearly loved his parents and -younger sister, and drove him nearly frantic -with grief.</p> - -<p>During his parents’ absence, Don had been -left in the care of his uncle on his father’s side, -Captain Frank Sturdy, his official guardian, a -big game hunter of great repute, whose business -of gathering animals dead and alive for -museums and menageries had taken him at -times all over the world. He was a big man -of iron nerve, sinewy, with black hair and eyes. -He was a dead shot, and his instructions had -made Don also a marksman only second to himself.</p> - -<p>Don was also under the general oversight of -Professor Amos Regor Bruce, his uncle on his -mother’s side, and an eminent scientist and -member of many learned societies. He also<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[14]</span> -had traveled extensively in the interest of -museums, for whom he gathered rare archæological -specimens.</p> - -<p>To divert Don’s mind from dwelling on his -supposed loss, his uncles, both of whom were -bachelors, took him with them on a trip to the -Sahara Desert. There one adventure trod -quickly on the heels of another. Don rescued -a boy of about his own size, Teddy Allison, -from the attack of thievish Arabs. It developed -that Teddy’s father had been captured -and carried into slavery. The sympathies of -Don and his uncles were enlisted by the boy’s -plight, and they organized an auto expedition -into the desert to find Mr. Allison and incidentally -to discover, if they could, the City of -Brass and the Cave of Emeralds. What difficulties -they had to surmount; the encounters -they had with bandits; the thrilling circumstances -attending the rescue of Mr. Allison and -their finding of the emeralds are told in the -first volume of this series, entitled: “Don -Sturdy on the Desert of Mystery; or, Autoing -in the Land of the Caravans.”</p> - -<p>Don’s astonishment and delight may be -imagined when he learned from Mr. Allison -that, though the <i>Mercury</i> had indeed been -shipwrecked, a number of passengers on the -ill-fated ship had been picked up by a sailing -vessel and carried to Brazil. Teddy’s father -had heard the story from others of the rescued<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[15]</span> -party, a scientist and a sailor, who were presumably -somewhere in Brazil, though he did -not know their exact whereabouts. Don’s -hopes that his parents and sister might have -been among the survivors were revived, and he -and his uncles determined to go to that great -South American country, a project rendered -the easier by the fact that the captain had a -contract to capture big snakes and the professor -wished to go to the same region to -search for rare drugs.</p> - -<p>Before long their expedition was organized -and they had plunged into the wilds of Brazil. -Here they had the most exciting adventures -with anacondas, boa constrictors, alligators -and jaguars, and were many times in peril of -their lives.</p> - -<p>How they captured the hideous monsters of -the jungle; how they followed up traces of -Don’s parents and sister and finally found -Ruth in a hospital and brought her back to -America; how they were baffled by the perplexing -mystery that still clung about the movements -of Don’s father and mother, are fully -narrated in the second volume of this series, -entitled: “Don Sturdy with the Big Snake -Hunters; or, Lost in the Jungles of the Amazon.”</p> - -<p>Now to return to Don, as, with his heart -thumping against his ribs with joy and excitement, -he accompanied his uncle to Hillville in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[16]</span> -order to send the message that would bring relief -and assurance to his mother’s heart.</p> - -<p>Cable tolls were a matter of no consequence -to the captain, and he sent a long message to -his sister-in-law, full of love and sympathy and -encouragement, accompanied by a telegraphic -order for a thousand dollars and directions to -draw on him for all she needed to any amount. -He told her also that Ruth was safe at home, -and that he and the professor and Don would -be on their way to her by the first steamer on -which they could secure passage.</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s that!” exclaimed the captain, -when he had finished and again climbed into -the car. “Now to be up at daybreak and on my -way to New York to make arrangements for -our passage. You’ve got to hustle now, my -boy, to get ready.”</p> - -<p>“Ready?” cried Don. “I’m ready now. I’d -like to start off this minute.”</p> - -<p>“So should I,” replied his uncle. “But a -trip half-way around the world can’t be taken -at the drop of a hat. We’ll make things hum -though, you can be sure of that.”</p> - -<p>“How long will the voyage take?”</p> - -<p>“Three weeks, probably. Possibly a little -less if we make good connections. We’ll have -to go to England first, and book passage on a -liner from there. But they run frequently, -and we won’t have long to wait.”</p> - -<p>It was getting dark as they drew near the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[17]</span> -Sturdy home. In the dusk Don saw two figures -walking by the side of the road whom he recognized -at once. He called to Dan to stop, and -the car halted abreast of them.</p> - -<p>“Hello, Emily! Hello, Fred!” Don called -out. “Jump in. Where are you going?”</p> - -<p>“Just coming over to make you a little call,” -replied Fred Turner, a boy of about Don’s own -age.</p> - -<p>“Better and better!” exclaimed Don. “Get -in. I have some glorious news, and if I don’t -tell it to some one I’ll burst!”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[18]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER III<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">Off for Egypt</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">It</span> would be too bad to have anything like -that happen, Don,” was the laughing reply of -Fred, as he helped his sister into the car and -followed her. “So fire away and let’s have it.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, you don’t mean, Don, that you’ve heard -from your parents?” asked Emily eagerly. “I -can’t imagine anything else that would make -you so happy.”</p> - -<p>“It’s just that!” declared Don jubilantly. -“Got a cablegram from my mother. She’s in -Egypt, and we’re going right over there to get -her and bring her home.”</p> - -<p>Emily gave a little squeal of delight and -Fred grabbed Don’s hand with a fervor that -made him wince.</p> - -<p>“Glory hallelujah!” cried Fred. “Isn’t -that splendid!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Don, I’m so glad and thankful!” exclaimed -Emily. “Now Ruth will get well in a -hurry. It’s just that awful worry that’s made -her so weak and ill. How did she take it?”</p> - -<p>“Too happy for words,” replied Don. “It<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[19]</span> -will do her more good than all the tonics and -medicines in the world.”</p> - -<p>“Your father is with your mother, I suppose,” -remarked Fred.</p> - -<p>“No,” replied Don slowly, his tone tinctured -with soberness. “That’s the one bad thing in -the news. He’s disappeared, and mother -doesn’t know where he is. We’re going over -to hunt him up. But at least we know that he -was alive nearly up to the time she cabled, and -that’s a whole lot in itself.”</p> - -<p>By this time the car had reached the house. -Captain Sturdy went inside to discuss the coming -trip with Professor Bruce. Don and Fred -sat down on the porch, while Emily rushed inside -to rejoice with Ruth over her new-found -happiness.</p> - -<p>Fred and Emily Turner were orphans, who -lived at a little distance from the Sturdy home. -Their first acquaintance with Don dated from -the time just before his journey to Brazil when -Don had saved Emily from a raging torrent -into which she had fallen. Fred at that time -was badly crippled, so badly, in fact, that his -recovery seemed hopeless. The orphans were -also in bad financial circumstances, and the -small estate in stocks and bonds that had been -left them by their father had been taken from -them by a heartless swindler.</p> - -<p>A warm friendship sprang up between Don -and the young folks, and the former enlisted<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[20]</span> -the help of his uncles in their behalf. The story -of what was done for the Turners by Professor -Bruce and Captain Sturdy and how Fred was -cured of his lameness and made as strong and -well as other lads of his age has been narrated -in the preceding volume.</p> - -<p>Don and Fred had been chatting for a few -minutes on the porch when the telephone bell -rang. Don excused himself and went inside -to answer it.</p> - -<p>“Hello!” came the call. “Is that you, Don? -This is Brick.”</p> - -<p>“Bully!” cried Don, as he realized that his -caller was Teddy Allison, nicknamed Brick because -of his mop of fiery red hair. “I’ve been -wondering why I hadn’t heard from you.”</p> - -<p>“Been plugging away at my books,” growled -Brick. “But vacation will be here in a few -days now, and I’m going to make tracks to -Hillville just as soon as I can get away. I’m -crazy to hear all about your trip to Brazil.”</p> - -<p>“You haven’t been any crazier than I’ve -been to have you come,” replied Don. “But, -Brick, old boy, I’m afraid I won’t be here when -your vacation begins. I’m going to Egypt.”</p> - -<p>There was an exclamation at the other end -of the wire as though Brick had been stunned. -Don went on to explain the good news he had -received and Teddy was overjoyed.</p> - -<p>“It’s glorious, Don!” he said. “It’s the -best news I’ve heard in months. But, say, Don,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[21]</span> -if you’re going to Egypt, why can’t I go -along?”</p> - -<p>“That would be great,” responded Don enthusiastically. -“I’d be tickled to death. And -I’m sure my uncles would have no objection. -You know what they think of you. They think -you’re about the finest boy that ever wore -shoes. But how about your father? Would he -be willing to have you go?”</p> - -<p>“He isn’t in New York, worse luck,” replied -Brick. “He’s gone out West on a business -matter. But I’ll try to get him by telegraph or -long distance ’phone. Oh, Don, I’ve just got -to go with you! I’ll go if I have to swim!”</p> - -<p>“Pretty long swim,” laughed Don. “But do -your best, old boy, and I’ll talk to my uncles; -though I’m sure they’ll be willing.”</p> - -<p>The boys talked for a few minutes longer, -and then Don hung up the receiver and rejoined -Fred on the porch.</p> - -<p>“From Brick Allison,” he explained. “He’s -wild to go with us to Egypt.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t wonder,” commented Fred. “But -now, Don,” he went on, rising as Emily came -out on the porch, “I guess we’d better go, for -I know you’ll have a thousand things to do in -getting ready for your trip on such short notice.”</p> - -<p>The next few days were busy ones. Clothes -suitable for the hot climate of Egypt had to be -bought, arrangements made for letters of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[22]</span> -credit, passages booked on the steamer, and a -host of other details attended to that had to -be crowded into their hurried preparations.</p> - -<p>The captain and professor kept the wires -hot in their calls on the various shipping offices, -and were delighted to find that they could get -passage on a steamer going directly to Alexandria -in Egypt, thus obviating the necessity -of going to England first, an arrangement that -would save them several days. At a time when -every day counted, this was an item of prime -importance.</p> - -<p>No answering cable had come from Mrs. -Sturdy, a fact that increased their uneasiness -and gave an added intensity to their longing -to be off.</p> - -<p>Nor had Teddy ’phoned again, except once -to tell Don that he was trying frantically to get -in touch with his father but had not yet succeeded. -But no other message followed, and -Don was forced reluctantly to give up hope of -his boy friend taking the trip with him.</p> - -<p>The day came at last when they were to go -to New York, there to board the <i>Cleopatra</i>, the -vessel on which their passage was booked. -There were tender partings from Ruth, in -whose cheeks the roses were again coming -from the knowledge that her mother was alive. -They promised to keep in frequent touch with -her by cable.</p> - -<p>There were warm good wishes also from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[23]</span> -Dan and Mrs. Roscoe and Jenny. The hired -girl’s agitated feelings were revealed by the -unusual vigor with which she chewed her gum.</p> - -<p>“Good-bye, Mister Don,” she whimpered. -“Don’t get trompled by no cambles an’ don’t -get et by no crockumdiles an’ don’t fall down -in none of them Egypt tombs.”</p> - -<p>Don promised that he would be careful, and -the party stepped into the car and were driven -down by Dan to the station, where they took -the train to New York.</p> - -<p>The <i>Cleopatra</i> was to sail the next morning -at eleven, and two hours earlier Don and his -uncles went on board. The ship was new and -well equipped, their staterooms were favorably -located and satisfactorily furnished, and to all -appearance they would have a comfortable -and, they hoped, a speedy voyage.</p> - -<p>Don quickly arranged his belongings in his -cabin and then went out on deck, which was -humming with the activity always prevailing -on a steamer on the point of sailing. He hung -over the rail looking eagerly for one particular -face among the many that thronged the pier. -In his last talk with Teddy he had told him of -the steamer he would take and the day and -hour of sailing, and he confidently expected -that his chum would be on hand to see him off.</p> - -<p>But Teddy did not appear, and when at last -the gangplank was drawn in and the great vessel -edged her way out into the river, Don turned<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[24]</span> -away with a feeling of disappointment. What -on earth had kept his friend from being on -hand? It was not like Teddy to fail him in -anything.</p> - -<p>But though a sore spot remained in his heart, -the first days of the voyage were full of interesting -things to engross his attention. The -weather was fine, and he spent most of the time -on deck, enjoying the cool breezes, the never -ending fascination of the ocean, and studying -his fellow passengers.</p> - -<p>These last embraced more varied types than -usual, because many of them were natives of -countries that bordered on the Mediterranean -and were clad in the picturesque garb of their -various lands. There were many Greeks, Algerians, -Tunisians and Egyptians, the latter of -whom were of special interest because of the -preëminent place that Egypt held in his -thoughts.</p> - -<p>Three whose dress proclaimed that they belonged -to the land of the Nile particularly attracted -his notice.</p> - -<p>One was an elderly man of benevolent expression, -with deep piercing eyes peering out -from beneath shaggy eyebrows. He seemed a -sage and a scholar, rich in wisdom and experience. -Don instinctively liked him without -exactly knowing why. His name, as the boy ascertained -from one of the deck stewards, was -Zata Phalos.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[25]</span>Two other Egyptians, who, as Don learned -from the same source, bore the names of Tezra -and Nepahak, aroused in Don a feeling of suspicion -and distrust. They were always together, -and usually conversing in low tones, as -though fearing to be overheard. From glances -they cast frequently at Phalos, accompanied -by a vindictive glitter, Don judged that the latter -was the subject of their conversation.</p> - -<p>Tezra was tall and stoop-shouldered, while -Nepahak was fat, short and oily. Don noticed -that Tezra did most of the talking, while -Nepahak assented by nods or objected in monosyllables. -Tezra was apparently the dominant -character of the two. To Don, the faces of both -bore the stamp of evil.</p> - -<p>“Those birds will bear watching,” Don muttered -to himself. “I’d hate to be at their mercy -if they had an object in injuring me.”</p> - -<p>On the third afternoon out Don noticed a -certain confusion about one of the hatchways. -A number of the crew seemed to be hauling -about rather roughly a figure that was obscured -by the crowd.</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter?” asked Don of a steward -who came hurrying past him.</p> - -<p>“They’ve nabbed a stowaway,” was the -reply.</p> - -<p>“Poor fellow,” thought Don. He knew that -a stowaway was about as popular with a ship’s -officers and crew as a rattlesnake at a picnic<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[26]</span> -party. “I suppose they’ll make him work out -his passage in the stokehole for the rest of the -voyage.”</p> - -<p>Just then a petty officer came up to where -Don was seated in his deck chair between those -occupied by the captain and the professor.</p> - -<p>“Beg pardon, sir,” he said, addressing the -captain, “but we have a stowaway there who -insists on seeing the Sturdys and Professor -Bruce. Just sheer impudence, I suppose, but -I thought I’d tell you, sir.”</p> - -<p>Don and his uncles looked at each other in -astonishment.</p> - -<p>“What on earth can that mean?” cried the -captain, jumping to his feet and striding toward -the hatchway, closely followed by Don -and the professor.</p> - -<p>The crowd opened as they approached, and -their astounded eyes fell on—Teddy Allison!</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[27]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IV<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">A Pair of Scoundrels</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Brick</span>!” cried Don, scarcely daring to believe -his eyes.</p> - -<p>“Teddy Allison!” ejaculated Captain -Sturdy, in a tone that conveyed sternness as -well as astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Bless my soul!” exclaimed Professor -Bruce, staring hard at the stowaway, as though -wondering whether it was Teddy in the flesh or -his ghost.</p> - -<p>But it was a very substantial Teddy that -stood before them, held in the grip of two of -the sailors, his clothes rumpled and disheveled, -smears of dirt across his face, his uncombed -red hair flaming above his pale features.</p> - -<p>His eyes had lighted with joy as they looked -at Don, but fell sheepishly before the gravity -that had replaced astonishment in the eyes of -the captain and the professor.</p> - -<p>Don leaped forward impulsively and threw -his arm over Brick’s shoulder.</p> - -<p>“You sure had me going for a minute, -Brick,” he said. “You could have knocked<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[28]</span> -me down with a feather. But I can’t tell you -how glad I am to see you here.”</p> - -<p>The evident acquaintance of the Sturdys and -Professor Bruce with the stowaway caused the -sailors to relinquish their hold of Teddy’s collar, -and just at that moment one of the officers -of the ship came along to look into the matter.</p> - -<p>Captain Sturdy addressed him.</p> - -<p>“You needn’t worry about this boy, officer,” -he said. “His father is a friend of mine. I’ll -take all responsibility for him and pay his -passage.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly, sir, certainly,” replied the officer. -“That will be all right. Hardly know -where we’ll find accommodation for him -though. All our staterooms are taken.”</p> - -<p>“He can share the cabin of my nephew,” replied -the captain. “Come, Teddy,” he went -on, addressing the culprit. “Don will take you -to his room and fit you out with some of his -clothes after you’ve had a bath. Then I’ll -have something to say to you, young man.”</p> - -<p>There was something in Captain Sturdy’s -tone and glance that was not at all reassuring -to the aforesaid young man, who hurried away -with Don, glad to get away from the half-wondering, -half-amused glances of the passengers -who had been summoned by the hubbub.</p> - -<p>“Gee, Don, I suppose I’m in for an awful -scolding,” Teddy whispered to his chum, as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[29]</span> -he watched the uncompromising back of the -captain.</p> - -<p>“Shouldn’t wonder, old boy,” laughed Don. -“You’ll probably get an earful. But, after all, -Uncle Frank won’t eat you. And, at any rate, -you’re here, and nothing else matters much. -You won’t get any scolding from me, that’s a -cinch. You look mighty good to me, Brick. -I’m crazy to hear what’s happened to you since -the ship sailed.”</p> - -<p>“It’s a long story, mates,” replied the grinning -Teddy, whose mercurial spirits began to -rise, despite the lecture in store for him. “But -first let me get rid of some of this grime and -slip into some decent clothes. Then I’ll feel -like a civilized human being again. Gee, there’s -no hobo has anything on me.”</p> - -<p>So Don forbore to question his friend further, -and busied himself in getting out some of -his clothes, while Teddy splashed about in the -bathtub.</p> - -<p>Teddy had scarcely finished dressing when -there came a knock on the door. Don opened -it, and the captain and the professor entered.</p> - -<p>“Now, young man,” said the captain, as they -seated themselves, “perhaps you can explain -your action in running away from home and -stowing yourself away on this ship. It goes -without saying that your father knew nothing -about it.”</p> - -<p>The tone was cold and the look that went<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[30]</span> -with it seemed to bore Teddy through and -through and demand the truth. Not that Teddy -thought of telling anything else. Falsehood -was not one of his vices.</p> - -<p>His face flushed almost as red as his hair as -he fidgeted about, nervously clasping and unclasping -his fingers.</p> - -<p>“I—I—meant to tell my father,” he stammered. -“I tried to find out where he was. I -wrote and telegraphed and telephoned. But -he was going from one place to another, and, -somehow, I couldn’t get in touch with him.”</p> - -<p>“Well?” said the captain, as Teddy paused.</p> - -<p>“Then,” confessed Teddy. “I got desperate -to think of Don going to Egypt without me, -and I made up my mind to go anyway and tell -my father about it afterward.”</p> - -<p>“Afterward!” repeated the captain, with a -sarcasm that was not lost on its object. “So -you think it’s all right to do things like this -and ask your father’s permission when it’s too -late for him to say no?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t suppose it was just right,” admitted -Teddy. “But I was sure he would let -me go if he knew about it. When I wanted to -go with Don to Brazil and he wouldn’t let me, -he half promised that I could go along if Don -made another trip. And it isn’t as though I -hadn’t tried to get his permission,” he added, -in the hope of softening Captain Sturdy’s -heart.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[31]</span>“That would have made it worse,” conceded -the captain. “All the same, that is no excuse -for doing as you did. Undoubtedly your father -will be greatly worried when he comes home -and finds you gone.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I took care of that!” exclaimed Teddy, -snatching eagerly at any redeeming feature. -“I left a letter for my father with one of the -servants, telling him all about it. He’ll know -I am with you and that you will take good care -of me.”</p> - -<p>The calm assurance of this almost took the -captain’s breath away, and a smile came to -the professor’s lips that he repressed instantly.</p> - -<p>“And of course father will pay you for any -expense I am to you,” said Teddy, who had -caught the professor’s smile and took heart of -hope from it.</p> - -<p>The captain pondered for a moment.</p> - -<p>“You did very wrong, Teddy,” he said -gravely. “No boy has a right to take such a step -as that without his father’s consent. If I could, -I would send you back at once. But that is impossible. -At the first stopping place, I will cable -to your father and get his directions in the matter. -In the meantime, of course, you are one of -our party. I am very much displeased with -you.”</p> - -<p>With this Parthian shot, the captain left the -cabin, followed by the professor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[32]</span>Teddy wiped the perspiration from his face -and looked at Don.</p> - -<p>“Gee, he did give it to me good and plenty,” -he said, as he sank down on the bed. “I feel -as though I’d been drawn through a knothole. -And at that, I know that everything he said was -right.”</p> - -<p>“Everything that Uncle Frank says is -right,” declared Don loyally. “But tell me -now, Brick, just how you managed to get on -board and stow yourself away. Here I was, -sore as a pup because you didn’t come down to -see me off, and you’ve been right on the ship -with us all the time.”</p> - -<p>“I came down to the ship the night before she -sailed,” explained Teddy. “It was dark, and -I slipped on board when no one was looking -and hid away in one of the lifeboats. I didn’t -mean then—anyway, I didn’t more than half -mean—to be a stowaway. I told myself that -I’d see you and your uncles when you came on -in the morning and beg them to take me with -them. I knew I wouldn’t have to beg you,” he -added, with a grin.</p> - -<p>“You bet you wouldn’t,” laughed Don. “I -couldn’t have said yes quick enough.”</p> - -<p>“But while I was hiding in the lifeboat I had -plenty of time for thinking,” went on Teddy; -“and the more I thought, the surer I got that -your uncles wouldn’t do it without my father’s -knowledge.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[33]</span>“You were dead right there!”</p> - -<p>“But I was crazy to go,” resumed Teddy, -“and I decided that the only way I could go -was to stow myself away so that I couldn’t -be found until after the vessel sailed. The -lifeboat didn’t seem safe enough, for all that -any one walking around would have to do would -be to lift the tarpaulin covering and spy me.</p> - -<p>“So I waited till after midnight and watched -my chance and slipped down one of the open -hatchways into the hold. There were hundreds -of bales and barrels there, and it was easy to -find a place where nobody would have a chance -of finding me.”</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you come out sooner?” asked -Don, in wonderment. “This is the third day -that we’ve been sailing.”</p> - -<p>“Couldn’t,” was the reply. “I found it was -easier to get in than it was to get out. I’d have -come out after the first day if I could. But it -was only this afternoon that a sailor came -down in the hold for something, and I yelled to -him. You ought to have heard the howl he let -out. Guess he thought it was a ghost at first. -Then he came for me. Oh, I got out on deck -quick enough then—pulled up by the scruff of -my neck.”</p> - -<p>“Were you hurt?” asked Don quickly.</p> - -<p>“He didn’t actually hit me,” replied Teddy; -“but he twisted his knuckles in my neck till -I thought I’d choke. I guess sailors feel toward<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[34]</span> -stowaways something as brakemen feel -about hoboes stealing rides on railroad trains. -As soon as I could get my breath, I asked for -the Sturdy party; and you know the rest.”</p> - -<p>“How did you get along for grub?” asked -Don. “Did you have any with you?”</p> - -<p>“Not a bit,” was the answer. “You see, -when I first came on board I counted on seeing -you the next morning, really, so I didn’t bring -anything along with me. After I’d been down -in the hold awhile I began to feel hungry. -Then I got scared for fear I’d starve to death. -But I rustled around among the boxes and -barrels and found some boxes where the covers -had been cracked or loosened and got hold of -some canned goods, beef and preserved cherries. -I broke the cans open on the sharp edge -of a box. But, oh, boy, what I’m going to do -to the grub when I once get at a regular table!”</p> - -<p>“There goes the gong now,” said Don, rising. -“Come right along and fill up.”</p> - -<p>“Lead me to it!” cried Teddy, jumping up.</p> - -<p>What he did to the fare of the liner’s table -amply fulfilled his prediction. Even the silent -disapproval that still persisted on the faces of -the captain and the professor had no effect on -his appetite.</p> - -<p>“Does it beat canned beef and cherries?” -whispered the grinning Don, who was sitting -beside him.</p> - -<p>“By a thousand miles,” replied Teddy, as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[35]</span> -clearly as he could with his mouth full. “I’ve -already let out my belt twice.”</p> - -<p>They had reached the dessert when Teddy -gave a start. His eyes had fallen on the faces -of two of his fellow passengers, seated at a -table a few feet away.</p> - -<p>“Who are those fellows?” he asked, in an -agitated whisper.</p> - -<p>Don followed the direction of his glance.</p> - -<p>“They’re Egyptians,” he answered. “Their -names are Tezra and Nepahak. Why do you -ask?”</p> - -<p>“They’re rascals!” declared Teddy emphatically.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[36]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER V<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">A Villainous Plot</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Don</span> looked at Teddy in surprise.</p> - -<p>“How do you know those men are rascals?” -he asked. “I don’t like the looks of them myself, -but I hadn’t heard anything against -them.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve heard plenty,” rejoined Teddy. “And -from their own lips, though they didn’t know -I heard them.”</p> - -<p>“Spill it,” urged Don impatiently.</p> - -<p>“Wait till I finish this pie,” replied Teddy. -“That’s the most important thing I have to do -just now.”</p> - -<p>He kept on imperturbably, while Don waited -in a fever of curiosity.</p> - -<p>“Come across now,” said Don, when Teddy -had finished the last crumb.</p> - -<p>“That pie’s mighty good,” remarked Teddy, -as he signaled the waiter to bring him another -piece.</p> - -<p>“I’ve seen anacondas eat,” said Don disgustedly. -“But you have it all over them.”</p> - -<p>“That’s because they never tasted pie as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[37]</span> -good as this,” remarked Teddy complacently.</p> - -<p>He finished his second helping, and then -looked around for the waiter.</p> - -<p>“No you don’t!” exclaimed Don, jumping -up and grabbing Teddy by the arm. “Come -along now, or there’ll be a famine on board -this ship.”</p> - -<p>“I never thought you had such a mean disposition,” -remarked the grinning Teddy, resigning -himself, nevertheless, and followed his -friend out on the deck.</p> - -<p>“Now, if you want to live another minute,” -said Don, when they had ensconced themselves -comfortably in deck chairs, “tell me what you -mean about those fellows.”</p> - -<p>“They came along the night I was hiding in -the lifeboat,” replied Teddy. “There was nobody -else around that part of the deck, and -they sat down within a few feet of me and began -to talk. They kept their voices low and -they talked in their own language, so that they -felt pretty safe. But you know I picked up -a good deal of Arabic while I was living in -Algiers; so, though there was some difference, -I could understand almost all they said.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t pay much attention at first. They -were talking about some fellow named Fellus -or something like that—”</p> - -<p>“Phalos,” interrupted Don. “That’s another -Egyptian that’s on the ship. Kind of an<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[38]</span> -old man, a pretty good kind of a scout, it -seems to me.”</p> - -<p>“I guess that’s the one, then,” said Teddy. -“I hadn’t listened long before I knew that they -were trying to put something over on this Phalos, -as you call him. Then I lifted up the edge -of the tarpaulin a bit, and took a peep at them. -The moon was up, so I had a good look, and I -knew them again the minute I saw them at the -table.”</p> - -<p>“What were they trying to put over on -him?”</p> - -<p>“Seems he’s got some papers they want -to get. I couldn’t get just the rights of it, -but it seemed mighty important to them. Heard -one of them say it would make them rich if -they could cop them. And I don’t think they’d -stop at anything to get them. I heard one of -them say something that means about the same -thing as our ‘dead men tell no tales.’”</p> - -<p>Just at this moment the two men they were -talking about passed them. They were not -sauntering, in the manner of most of the passengers, -but moved as though they were bent -on a purpose, like hounds on a trail.</p> - -<p>“Look like a pair of pirates,” snorted -Teddy.</p> - -<p>“They wouldn’t take any prizes at a beauty -show,” agreed Don. “Wonder what they’re -up to now.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[39]</span>“Something they wouldn’t want any one to -know about, I bet,” Teddy conjectured.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a thought struck Don, and he -started up.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t see Phalos at the table to-night!” -he exclaimed. “He sits near us, and is usually -there.”</p> - -<p>“Well, what of it?” asked Teddy carelessly. -“Perhaps he’s off his feed. And that’s where -he’s different from me.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose it was something like that,” -agreed Don, sinking back again into his chair.</p> - -<p>They chatted of other things, but Don’s -mind was haunted by a feeling of uneasiness. -He could not shake off a conviction that something -was wrong with the benevolent old Egyptian, -whom he had learned to like. He told -himself that he was foolish. Still an uncomfortable -feeling persisted. At last he rose -with decision.</p> - -<p>“Come along, Brick,” he said. “Let’s -stretch our legs a bit.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t feel as though I could move,” complained -Teddy. “I was a trifle hearty at the -table to-night.”</p> - -<p>“A trifle!” jeered Don. “That certainly is -putting it mildly! All the more reason why -you should walk it off. Up you come.”</p> - -<p>As he reinforced his urging by a vigorous -tug at his friend’s sleeve, Brick yielded with -a groan.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[40]</span>“Where are you going?” he asked, extricating -himself with difficulty from the depths of -his chair.</p> - -<p>“Oh, just going to take a turn or two about -the deck,” answered Don. “And if by chance -we should happen to run across those two -Egyptians, so much the better.”</p> - -<p>“What have you got on your chest?” asked -Teddy, with quickened interest.</p> - -<p>“Just a little hunch of mine that they may -be up to some mischief,” answered Don. “What -you’ve told me about them and Phalos has -made me feel uneasy, especially as the old -fellow didn’t turn up at meal time.”</p> - -<p>Teddy’s previous experiences with Don in -the Sahara had given him considerable respect -for his friend’s “hunches,” and he went along -with alacrity.</p> - -<p>Twice they made the circuit of the deck without -seeing the people of whom they were in -search. Then, in the growing dusk, Don caught -a glimpse of Tezra and Nepahak emerging hurriedly -from a cabin a little way ahead.</p> - -<p>He clutched Teddy’s arm and drew him into -a corridor leading from the deck, where they -stood until the men had passed.</p> - -<p>“Come along,” he said, relinquishing his -hold on his friend’s arm and hastening out on -deck.</p> - -<p>“But I thought you were going to follow<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[41]</span> -them!” exclaimed Teddy, as he saw that Don -was going in the opposite direction.</p> - -<p>“Not now,” replied Don. “That was Phalos’ -cabin they came from, and I’m going to -take a look at that first.”</p> - -<p>In a moment the two boys were standing -before the cabin in question, and Don knocked -on the door.</p> - -<p>There was no answer and no sound of any -one stirring inside. Don waited a moment and -then knocked again. Still no answer. Then -he tried the knob. The door refused to give. -It was locked.</p> - -<p>Don looked hurriedly about and saw that -the door of the room immediately adjoining -was standing a little ajar. He pushed it open -and found that it contained no bed but a miscellaneous -collection of boxes, and was evidently -a storeroom.</p> - -<p>His eyes roved over the place and detected -a transom at the side nearer the cabin of Phalos. -Instantly he beckoned to Teddy and they -went in, closing the door softly.</p> - -<p>Making no noise, Don piled up some of the -boxes and stood on them. This brought his -head to a level with the transom.</p> - -<p>For a moment he could make out nothing -definite in the cabin. Then, as his eyes grew -accustomed to the shadows, he saw the form -of Phalos sitting in a chair. Looking closer, -he saw that the old man was tightly bound and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[42]</span> -that a gag had been thrust into his mouth.</p> - -<p>Teddy also had mounted the boxes and stood -at Don’s side.</p> - -<p>“Do you see that?” asked Don, in a whisper. -“There isn’t a minute to lose.”</p> - -<p>“What should we do?” exclaimed Teddy.</p> - -<p>Don tried the transom and found that it -swung toward him. He pulled it still further -forward and fastened it to a hook above his -head.</p> - -<p>The aperture was none too large, but sufficient -to permit the passage of his body.</p> - -<p>“Come after me as soon as you can,” directed -Don, as he swung himself up and -through the opening.</p> - -<p>He dropped lightly on the other side and -a moment later Teddy had followed him.</p> - -<p>They rushed to the chair in which the old -Egyptian was fastened. His eyes, which had -been closed, opened with a look of terror, to be -quickly replaced by one of hope as he recognized -Don.</p> - -<p>In a trice the boys had pulled out their jack-knives -and were sawing away at the cords that -bound the captive. In a few minutes they succeeded -in freeing him from bonds and gag.</p> - -<p>The old Egyptian tried to speak, but his -tongue at first refused to obey him.</p> - -<p>“How can I thank you?” he said, at last, -to the boys, who were rubbing his wrists and -hands to restore the circulation. “How can I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[43]</span> -reward you? You’ve saved my property, and -perhaps you’ve saved my life.”</p> - -<p>“That’s all right,” replied Don. “We’re -glad we came in time.”</p> - -<p>“But how did you know what had happened -to me?” asked Phalos.</p> - -<p>“We saw those countrymen of yours coming -from the cabin,” explained Don. “We -knew that they were enemies of yours, and -as you hadn’t turned up at meal time, we -thought there was something wrong. What -have those men got against you that they -should treat you this way?”</p> - -<p>“They are robbers,” replied Phalos. “They -knew that I had a great secret—” Here he -checked himself and darted a quick glance at -his deliverers. “That is, they know I have -some valuable property which they want to -take from me.”</p> - -<p>“Where are they now?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“They’ve gone to their own cabin to get -implements to torture me with,” was the startling -reply. “I refused to tell them what they -wanted, and they said they would find a way -to cure my stubbornness. They may be back -at any minute. We must get out of here at -once.”</p> - -<p>“Right you are!” exclaimed Don. “We’ll -report the matter to the captain and have the -rascals arrested. Come right along. You take<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[44]</span> -one arm, Brick, and I’ll steady him on the -other side.”</p> - -<p>They helped the old Egyptian to his feet. -Just then they heard the grating of a key in -the lock.</p> - -<p>“It’s Tezra and Nepahak!” exclaimed the -Egyptian, in an agitated whisper. “They’re -coming back.”</p> - -<p>Don’s eyes darted about the room and fell -on the curtains shielding the bed.</p> - -<p>“Sit there,” he commanded, thrusting Phalos -back in his chair. “Come, Brick.”</p> - -<p>In a flash the two boys were behind the curtains.</p> - -<p>The stateroom door opened, and Tezra and -Nepahak entered, the latter carrying several -objects that by their faint clinking seemed to -be steel tools or implements of some kind.</p> - -<p>Phalos had settled back in his chair, and in -the gathering darkness seemed to be in the -same condition as the rascals had left him.</p> - -<p>Nepahak stepped over to the electric switch, -but his accomplice halted him sharply.</p> - -<p>“Don’t turn on that light, you fool,” he -snarled. “This flashlight of mine will give us -all the light we need.”</p> - -<p>He stepped over to the silent figure in the -chair.</p> - -<p>“Now, Phalos, we’re going to make you -listen to reason,” he said in a tone of deadly determination. -“We haven’t followed you half-way<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[45]</span> -around the world to be balked at last. -We know that you have the secret of the Tombs -of Gold, and we’re going to get it from you. -If you tell it to us, we will release you and -you won’t be hurt. If you refuse, we have -something here that will make you tell. And -if we have to torture you, you will wish you -had never been born. Now I’m going to take -that gag from your mouth, so that you can -tell me your decision.”</p> - -<p>He turned to his companion.</p> - -<p>“Come here, Nepahak,” he commanded. -“Stand on that side of him while I remove the -gag. Clap your hand over his mouth if he -should try to shout an alarm. But first hand -me the flashlight.”</p> - -<p>He took the light his confederate handed to -him and flashed it on the face of his intended -victim.</p> - -<p>A wild exclamation escaped from him as he -noticed the absence of the gag and saw also -that the cords had been cut.</p> - -<p>“Who has been here?” he cried, in alarm. -“What does this mean? Come back here, -you,” he called to Nepahak, who was already -making toward the door, intent upon escape.</p> - -<p>“Now!” whispered Don, touching Teddy’s -arm.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[46]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VI<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">The Fight in the Dark</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> next instant the boys rushed from their -hiding place and launched themselves upon the -rascals.</p> - -<p>They were both tall and muscular, and had -the advantage of the surprise. Don knocked -the flashlight from Tezra’s hand, and lashed -out at him with both fists. The blows staggered -the Egyptian, and his confusion was increased -by tripping over the leg of Phalos, -who was rising from his seat to take part in -the fracas.</p> - -<p>Tezra went down full length on the floor, -with Don on top of him. Teddy had grappled -with Nepahak and dragged him from the door.</p> - -<p>The sound of voices and of hurrying feet -outside indicated that the uproar had been -heard. The imminence of capture made the -rascals frantic, and with a desperate effort they -freed themselves from their opponents, tore -open the door, and vanished.</p> - -<p>A moment later several of the crew with one -of the officers came into the room. One of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[47]</span> -the men turned on the electric light, and the -party looked with exclamations of astonishment -at the disordered room and the panting -and disheveled boys.</p> - -<p>“What’s going on here?” asked the officer -sharply.</p> - -<p>Phalos stepped forward.</p> - -<p>“Two men tried to rob me,” he explained. -“They had bound and gagged me. These boys -learned of my plight and came to my help.”</p> - -<p>“Who were the men that tried to rob you and -where are they?” asked the officer.</p> - -<p>“They pulled away and ran out of the door -just before you got here,” was the reply. -“Their names are Tezra and Nepahak. You -will find their names on the passenger list of -the boat.”</p> - -<p>The officer gave some hurried commands to -his men and they went out. Then he turned -to Phalos.</p> - -<p>“Are you hurt?” he asked solicitously.</p> - -<p>“Not seriously,” answered the old Egyptian. -“Somewhat bruised by the rough handling -they gave me and shaken up by the experience. -Nothing more than that.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad to hear that,” was the reply. -“This has been a most deplorable occurrence. -I assure you that we will make every effort -to arrest the rascals and hand them over to the -authorities as soon as we reach port. In the -meantime, I would deem it a favor if you and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[48]</span> -these boys—who, by the way, showed mighty -good pluck in tackling the thieves—would -kindly keep this matter to yourselves. It -doesn’t do the ship or the line any good to have -a thing of this kind noised about. Then, too, -it’s apt to make the other passengers nervous -and spoil the pleasure of their journey. Would -you mind promising me that?”</p> - -<p>“Not the least in the world,” answered Phalos -promptly, and Don and Teddy nodded in -agreement.</p> - -<p>“With the exception of my uncles,” qualified -Don. “They’re my guardians and have -a right to know anything that happens to me -while I’m traveling in their charge. But I -can promise that they won’t mention it to any -one else.”</p> - -<p>“That’s all right,” replied the officer. “Now, -Mr. Phalos, is there anything I can do for you? -Perhaps you would like to have me send the -ship’s doctor in to look you over.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t take that trouble, thanks,” replied -Phalos. “I was not injured. A good night’s -sleep will probably set me up again.”</p> - -<p>“Did the thieves get anything?” asked the -officer, casting a look around as he prepared to -leave.</p> - -<p>“Nothing at all, thanks to the courage of -those two brave boys.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll have a guard set over this room, so -that if those fellows should come back he can<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[49]</span> -nab them,” promised the officer. “But I guess -they’ll steer clear of it. Probably we’ll have -them in custody before morning.”</p> - -<p>He bade Phalos and the boys good-night and -went out, closing the door behind him.</p> - -<p>“I guess we’d better be going too, Mr. Phalos,” -said Don. “That is, if there’s nothing -more we can do for you.”</p> - -<p>“I think you’ve done quite enough for me -for one night,” replied Phalos, with a grateful -smile. “I can never thank you enough. -You may have saved my life. At any rate -you’ve preserved me from physical pain and -permitted me to retain in my own keeping -something that is very precious to me. I shall -see you again in the morning and will express -my thanks, I hope, a little more adequately.”</p> - -<p>“We’re only too glad to have been of service,” -answered Don. “Good-night,” and with -a last word of thanks echoing in their ears, he -and Teddy went out on the deck.</p> - -<p>“Gee!” said Teddy, as he drew a long -breath, “I feel like something that the cat -dragged in, and I guess I look it too.”</p> - -<p>“Same here,” laughed Don, as he took in -the torn collars and rumpled clothes of himself -and his friend. “It was some little fight -those rascals put up. I only hope they’re nabbed -by this time. But say, Brick, how about -that little hunch of mine?” and he gave his comrade -a playful poke in the ribs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[50]</span>“You win,” agreed Teddy. “Your hunches -are there with the goods, all right. But let’s -get to our cabin and wash up and slip into some -other clothes.”</p> - -<p>As they were opening the door of their stateroom, -they met captain Sturdy and Professor -Bruce.</p> - -<p>“Oh, there you are,” said the captain. “We -were wondering what had become of you. But -what has happened?” he asked quickly, as he -noticed the state of the boys’ garments.</p> - -<p>“Oh, we’ve had a little scrimmage,” replied -Don, and went on to narrate the exciting happenings -of the last half hour.</p> - -<p>His uncle listened with interest, not unmixed -with some alarm, interrupting him at times with -questions.</p> - -<p>“You did well, both of you,” Captain Sturdy -said approvingly when Don had finished. -“Though it would perhaps, have been more prudent -if you had summoned help as soon as you -had discovered the state of things before you -climbed through the transom. You ran a big -chance of having one or both of those rascals -stick a knife into you.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose so,” answered Don. “But I -didn’t think of that. All I saw was that helpless -old man in the power of those villains. -If they’d only been a minute or two later in -getting back, we’d have had the old man out<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[51]</span> -on the deck, and they wouldn’t have dared to -attack him there.”</p> - -<p>“It’s curious that the thieves should have -attempted so bold a thing right here on the -ship,” remarked the professor. “They must -have been desperately anxious to get what he -had. Had they searched his baggage?”</p> - -<p>“No,” replied Don. “And that’s the funny -thing about it. They hadn’t broken into his -bags or trunk, and it didn’t seem that they -intended to do so.”</p> - -<p>“But you say that they were there to rob -him?” said the professor, in some perplexity.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Don. “But the thing they -wanted to get wasn’t in his baggage. It was -in his mind.”</p> - -<p>“You mean they wanted to extort a secret -from him?” put in the captain.</p> - -<p>“That was it,” Don affirmed. “The old -Egyptian told us that himself. They were going -to torture him to get it out of him.”</p> - -<p>“It must have been very valuable if they -were prepared to go to such lengths as that,” -remarked the professor. “Did he tell you -what it was?”</p> - -<p>“He didn’t,” replied Don. “But Tezra let -it out when he told Mr. Phalos that he was going -to make him tell the secret of the Tombs -of Gold.”</p> - -<p>“The Tombs of Gold!” exclaimed Professor -Bruce, with a start.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[52]</span>“Ever hear of them, Amos?” asked his -brother-in-law, casting a keen glance at him.</p> - -<p>“Many times,” replied the professor. “But -I never knew how much faith to put in their -existence. There have been persistent rumors -that there are such tombs in the Egyptian desert, -and more than one expedition has been -organized to search for them. But they’ve always -had their troubles for their pains.”</p> - -<p>“Then you think they’re myths?” asked the -captain.</p> - -<p>“I wouldn’t say that,” was the reply. -“There are so many wonderful things in that -mysterious country that I’d hesitate to say -offhand that anything was impossible. And our -own experience in connection with the city of -Brass and Cave of Emeralds in the Sahara -have taught us how much truth there may often -be concealed in tradition.”</p> - -<p>“True enough,” agreed the captain. “I’m -beginning to think we may find this old Egyptian -a very interesting person.”</p> - -<p>“He promised to look us up to-morrow morning,” -said Don. “If he does, I’ll introduce -him to you.”</p> - -<p>The boys were eager the next morning to -learn whether the rascals had been apprehended. -Don sought out the officer whom he -had seen the night before, a Mr. Maitland.</p> - -<p>“Anything doing, Mr. Maitland?” he inquired.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[53]</span>“Not a thing,” was the disappointed reply. -“We haven’t found hide or hair of them. They -seem to have vanished into thin air. But I’m -having a quiet hunt going on for them, and -sooner or later we’ll get our hands on them. -They must be somewhere on the ship.”</p> - -<p>“Unless they jumped overboard,” suggested -Don.</p> - -<p>The officer laughed.</p> - -<p>“Not a chance,” he replied. “Rascals like -that think too much of their precious skins. -We’ll catch them some time skulking around the -ship. For the present, they’ve probably slipped -down a hatchway into a hold. There are -plenty of hiding places there, and for a time -they may elude us. But not for long.”</p> - -<p>Phalos had not appeared at the breakfast -table, but had been served in his room. About -the middle of the forenoon, however, he made -his appearance, and, catching sight of Don -and his party, came up to them with a smile.</p> - -<p>“I was too agitated last night to thank you -properly,” he said, addressing himself to Don -and Teddy. “But I want to do it now. In -my confusion, I didn’t even learn your names.”</p> - -<p>“This is my friend, Teddy Allison,” said -Don, indicating his comrade. “These are my -uncles, Professor Bruce and Captain Sturdy. -My own name is Don Sturdy.”</p> - -<p>“Sturdy!” exclaimed the Egyptian, as he -acknowledged the introductions. “I had a very<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[54]</span> -dear friend of that name once, a Mr. Richard -Sturdy. Is he, by any chance, related to you?”</p> - -<p>“Related!” cried Don, as an electric shock -seemed to pass through him. “He’s my father! -Oh, tell me, what do you know about him?”</p> - -<p>Phalos looked at him, a little surprised at -his vehemence.</p> - -<p>“It’s some years since I saw or heard of -him,” he replied. “But why do you ask? -Surely you must know more about his whereabouts -than I do.”</p> - -<p>Don’s new-found hope died almost as soon -as it was born, and his face was clouded with -disappointment.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Richard Sturdy is my brother,” explained -the captain. “He went away some -time ago on an exploring expedition. The ship -he sailed on was wrecked, and my brother received -an injury to his head that we fear has -affected his mind. We are now going to Egypt -to look for him.”</p> - -<p>Then, while the old Egyptian listened with -the keenest interest and sympathy, Don’s uncle -told briefly of the happenings that had brought -the party on the present voyage.</p> - -<p>“I am very sorry to hear this,” Phalos observed, -when the story was finished. “I sincerely -hope your search will be crowned with -success. It may be that I can help you, for -I know my native country as no foreigner can. -And, if I can, you may command my services.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[55]</span> -I may be able to repay in some small measure -the debt I owe to this brave nephew of yours -and his friend.”</p> - -<p>“We appreciate your offer, and we shall certainly -avail ourselves of it,” said the professor -warmly. “Perhaps you can help us even now -by telling us something about your acquaintance -with my brother-in-law.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Sturdy and I were drawn together by -many common interests while he was in my -country,” explained Zeta Phalos. “He was an -enthusiast about the monuments and wonders -of old Egypt, and that, of course, was pleasing -to me. He was especially interested in the tombs -of former Egyptian rulers, and spent weeks -and months in studying those that had been -opened and in looking for others that still remained -untouched. I was able to help him in -this, for all my life has been practically devoted -to the same thing. So we grew to be -very close friends.”</p> - -<p>“Was there any particular tomb or tombs -that he was searching for?” asked Don eagerly.</p> - -<p>The old Egyptian shot a quick look at his -questioner.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps he was,” he answered evasively. -“But he was rather a reticent man and kept -his plans pretty closely to himself.”</p> - -<p>“We thought perhaps he was looking for -the Tombs of Gold,” remarked the professor -casually, polishing his glasses.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[56]</span>Phalos gave a perceptible start.</p> - -<p>“You’ve heard of the Tombs of Gold?” he -asked, in a tone that he evidently tried to make -careless.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I know there’s a tradition that such -tombs exist somewhere in Egypt,” replied Professor -Bruce. “I don’t know whether there’s -any truth in it or not.”</p> - -<p>“Egypt is rich in treasure,” observed Phalos -noncommittally. “In ancient days it -stretched from the Euphrates to the headwaters -of the Nile. Gold was brought in tribute to -her kings from all parts of Africa and Asia. -In the time of the Pharaohs her wealth was -almost incalculable. Centuries have elapsed -since then, but who shall say that some of that -wealth does not remain either above or below -her soil?”</p> - -<p>“Then you believe that the Tombs of Gold -really exist?” asked Don, his eyes shining.</p> - -<p>“I did not say so,” replied Phalos. “It is -possible that Mr. Sturdy thought so. He was -certainly intent upon some definite object he -had in mind. He was not going about at random. -Especially was he interested in the Valley -of the Kings. There he spent most of his -time, working sometimes till far into the -night.”</p> - -<p>“It is reasonable to conclude, then, that he -has now gone to the Valley of the Kings, do -you think?” asked the captain.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[57]</span>“That is certainly where I would look for -him first,” replied Phalos. “You will have -to pass through Cairo to get there. My home -is in that city, and I hope you will make it your -headquarters during your stay.”</p> - -<p>The friendship between Zeta Phalos and the -members of the Sturdy party grew deeper as -the voyage progressed. It soon became evident -that the old Egyptian would prove invaluable -to them when once they had landed and started -on their search.</p> - -<p>One night as the vessel was nearing the Mediterranean, -Don found it impossible to sleep. -His mind was full of thoughts of his parents, -joyous when he thought of the coming reunion -with his dear mother, sad when he dwelt on -the plight of his equally dear father.</p> - -<p>What had become of the latter? Was he -wandering about aimlessly in the foreign land, -exposed perhaps to hunger and thirst, to poverty -and hardship? Perhaps at that moment -he was dead! At the thought Don’s heart was -wrung with anguish. Or perhaps—and the -thought was equally terrible—his mind, that -splendid scientific mind, was gone forever.</p> - -<p>Tortured by these possibilities, Don at last -rose, slipped on some clothes, and went out on -the deck.</p> - -<p>It was about two o’clock in the morning, and -there was no one in sight except occasional -members of the crew intent on some duty and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[58]</span> -shadowy figures of officers making their round -of the ship.</p> - -<p>The vessel was passing through the Straits -of Gibraltar, and Don sat down in a chair near -the stern, trying to divert his somber thoughts -by gazing at the formidable frowning Rock that -stood as the symbol of Great Britain’s power -in the Mediterranean.</p> - -<p>A slight splash in the water attracted his -attention. He turned his eyes in the direction -of the sound, but could see nothing.</p> - -<p>Then came a second splash, and with his -eyes somewhat adjusted to the darkness, he -could faintly detect a human head above the -surface of the water. Almost instantly the -head was lost in the gloom, but a faint trail -of foam traced the course of a man swimming -toward the shore.</p> - -<p>At first Don jumped to the conclusion that -a man had fallen overboard. But with the -second splash he came to the conclusion that -two were hardly likely to have fallen over so -nearly at the same time. Besides, there was no -call for help. And instead of swimming toward -the ship, one, at least, was certainly making -for the shore, which at that place was not -more than a quarter of a mile distant, and -probably the other man was following his example.</p> - -<p>Just as Don was wondering what he ought -to do, Mr. Maitland, who happened to be on<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[59]</span> -watch, came along. He peered at Don and -recognized him.</p> - -<p>“Keeping pretty late hours, aren’t you?” he -asked, with a smile. “What’s the matter? -Too hot to sleep?”</p> - -<p>“Not that exactly,” replied Don. “I was -restless, and thought that a change might make -me drowsy enough to make it worth while to go -back to bed. I’m glad you came along, Mr. -Maitland. Did you hear those splashes in the -water?”</p> - -<p>“Splashes!” exclaimed the officer, alert on -the instant. “No. Where were they?”</p> - -<p>“Rather close to the stern,” replied Don. -“One followed close upon another. I know -that one was made by a man, for I saw him, -and I suppose the other one was too.”</p> - -<p>The officer unslung his night glasses and -looked in the direction of the shore, but could -make out nothing.</p> - -<p>“What do you suppose they were?” inquired -Don. “Could they have been deserters, -do you think?”</p> - -<p>“That’s possible, I suppose,” replied Mr. -Maitland, with a perplexed air, as he put up -his glasses. “Though I don’t know of any -dissatisfaction among the crew. And, anyway, -sailors usually wait until they reach some port -before they take French leave. By Jove! I -have it,” he cried. “It’s those scoundrels that -tried to rob the Egyptian.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[60]</span>Don jumped to his feet.</p> - -<p>“Do you think so?” he cried.</p> - -<p>“That’s it, for a thousand dollars!” declared -the officer emphatically. “They’ve managed -somehow to find a hiding place in a hold, though -I don’t see for the life of me how they did it. -They probably knew that we’d pass close to -the shore when we got to the Straits, and they -decided to make a swim for it.”</p> - -<p>“Couldn’t you get out a boat and capture -them?” asked Don, chagrined at the thought of -the rascals’ escape.</p> - -<p>Mr. Maitland shook his head.</p> - -<p>“No use,” he replied. “By the time we -rounded to and lowered a boat they’d have -reached the shore. Probably they’re there -now. Oh, they’ve put one over on us, all right. -It’s a rotten shame, too, for they richly deserved -to be put behind the bars.”</p> - -<p>There was no use, however, of crying over -spilt milk, and after a few minutes more of -conversation Don went again to his room.</p> - -<p>His story of the night’s events to the members -of his party and the old Egyptian the -next morning created a stir. Phalos especially -looked grave.</p> - -<p>“Of course,” said Don, to cheer him up, -“we’re not dead sure it was those fellows at -all. Though Mr. Maitland told me this morning -that the crew had been checked up and none -was missing.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[61]</span>“I’m afraid it’s only too true that Tezra and -Nepahak have made their escape,” mourned -Phalos. “And if they have, I shall hear from -them again.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps they’ve had such a scare thrown -into them that they’ll let you alone for the -future,” ventured Teddy.</p> - -<p>Phalos shook his head.</p> - -<p>“I know them too well,” he asserted. -“Tezra is persistent and relentless. Nepahak -is only his tool. They may bide their time, but -soon or late they will renew their attempt to -get possession of—”</p> - -<p>“Of what?” asked the captain, as Phalos -hesitated.</p> - -<p>“Oh, well,” returned Phalos, evading a -reply. “I am not going to worry about what -may happen. Let us talk of something pleasanter,” -and he launched into a description of -the Temple of Philae that he had been discussing -with the professor the night before.</p> - -<p>They were now in the sparkling waters of -the Mediterranean, almost every foot of whose -coast and islands was rich in historic associations -of the “glory that was Greece and the -grandeur that was Rome.”</p> - -<p>Under other circumstances, Don would have -found an endless fascination in this storied sea -and its surroundings, but now his mind was so -taken up with thoughts of his parents that he -could pay little attention to anything else. All<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[62]</span> -that he wanted was Egypt, the Egypt where he -would find his mother, the Egypt where -he hoped to find his father. This filled his whole -horizon. Nothing else mattered. When, oh, -when would Egypt loom up on the horizon?</p> - -<p>And his heart gave such a leap that it almost -seemed as though it would leave his body -when one morning a faint blur in the distance, -rapidly growing larger, revealed itself as the -port of Alexandria, where he would first step -on Egyptian soil.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[63]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VII<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">On the Trail</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Only</span> hours now separated Don from his -mother, provided that she was still in Alexandria. -But he had been thwarted so many -times in the search for his dear ones, the cup -of happy expectation had been so often dashed -to the ground just as he was lifting it to his -lips, that he scarcely dared to hope that this -time his longing would be realized.</p> - -<p>What might have happened since he had embarked -at New York? Perhaps she was ill. -Possibly she had been called away from the -city by some clew as to the whereabouts of her -husband. As to the possibility that he might -find both of his parents reunited—Don scarcely -dared hope for that.</p> - -<p>He packed up all his belongings so that -everything would be in readiness, and then -paced the deck in a fever of impatience.</p> - -<p>The steamer seemed to be only creeping -along. Yet it was plowing through the water -at a rapid speed that only slowed down when -they neared the older of the two harbors of the -famous Mediterranean city.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[64]</span>Captain Sturdy and Professor Bruce were -almost as agitated as Don himself, though they -managed to maintain more of a curb on their -emotions. Teddy, too, was wrought up because -of his keen sympathy with his friend.</p> - -<p>Phalos bade them all a cordial good-bye just -before they landed.</p> - -<p>“Though it is really <i>au revoir</i> instead of -good-bye,” he said, with a genial smile, “for I -am going to hold you strictly to your promise -to come to see me in Cairo as soon as you reach -there, and, if possible, make my house your -headquarters. I shall never forget,” he added, -turning to Don and Teddy, “what you did for -me in saving my—property and quite probably -my life. You may count upon me for all I can -do in helping you to find Mr. Sturdy.”</p> - -<p>They thanked him, and promised that they -would surely see him in Cairo.</p> - -<p>They landed amid clamor and hubbub, the -cries of porters and pleadings of beggars that -are inseparable from all the seaports of the -East. To these they paid no attention, but -hailed a taxicab and drove through the large -handsome streets of the European quarter to -the hotel from which Mrs. Sturdy had dispatched -her cablegram.</p> - -<p>“Is a Mrs. Richard Sturdy among your -guests?” asked the captain, as the party went -up to the desk.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[65]</span>Don’s heart was in his throat as he listened -for the answer.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” was the reply. “Do you wish to see -her?” and he reached for the desk telephone.</p> - -<p>“No need of announcing us,” broke in Don. -“These gentlemen are her brothers and I am -her son. We will go right up, if you please.”</p> - -<p>The clerk summoned a bellboy, who rose -languidly and came toward them.</p> - -<p>“Hurry, hurry!” urged Don, slipping a coin -into his hand. “See how quickly you can lead -us there.”</p> - -<p>There was a noticeable quickening of step on -the part of the attendant as he moved toward -the elevator.</p> - -<p>“I guess I’ll stay down here till you send -for me,” said Teddy hesitatingly.</p> - -<p>“No, you won’t!” exclaimed Don, reaching -out and pulling him in with him.</p> - -<p>They ascended to the second floor, and hurried -down the hall to a door at which their -guide pointed.</p> - -<p>Don was in the van, and with a trembling -hand knocked on the door. It opened almost -instantly, and a sweet-faced, slender woman, -still young, though there were lines of care on -her forehead, stood before them.</p> - -<p>“Mother! Mother!” cried Don, and threw -himself in her arms.</p> - -<p>“Don! My precious boy! Oh, my dear<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[66]</span> -boy!” cried Mrs. Sturdy, sobbing with happiness -as she folded Don close to her heart.</p> - -<p>She hugged and kissed him and patted his -hair, standing him off at times to look into his -face and then drawing him again to her as -though she would never let him go.</p> - -<p>Don’s arms were about her. Tears of joy -ran down his cheeks as he tried incoherently -to tell how much he loved her and had missed -her and how delighted he was that at last he -had found her.</p> - -<p>Now it was the turn of the captain and the -professor, who had stood aside for a moment -while mother and son were tasting the first -bliss of reunion. Their eyes too were moist, as -they embraced the sister and sister-in-law who -was unspeakably dear to them and for whom -they had searched over so large a part of the -world.</p> - -<p>It was a long time before the members of -the happy excited group had gained some measure -of control over themselves. Then Don -seated his mother in a chair, on the arm of -which he sat, holding her hand as though he -felt he must keep close grip on her, lest she -should vanish and he awake to find it all a -dream.</p> - -<p>The others drew up their chairs, and it was -then for the first time that Don noticed -that Teddy was not with them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[67]</span>“Where’s Teddy?” he asked, as he looked -around the room.</p> - -<p>“Outside in the hall, I imagine,” replied the -professor. “He probably feels shy about coming -into what is so strictly a family party.”</p> - -<p>“Who’s Teddy?” asked Mrs. Sturdy, with -a smile.</p> - -<p>“A friend of mine who came along with us,” -explained Don. “We met him when we were -in the Sahara, and it was his father who first -gave us news of the sinking of the <i>Mercury</i>. -He hasn’t any mother. He’s a splendid fellow, -Mother. You’ll love him.”</p> - -<p>“Of course, I shall, if he’s a friend of -yours,” said Mrs. Sturdy. “And I’ll be a -mother to him, as far as I can, if he will let -me.”</p> - -<p>“May I bring him in?” asked Don eagerly.</p> - -<p>“Surely.”</p> - -<p>Don dashed out of the door, found Teddy -leaning against the wall of the corridor, -grabbed him and dragged him in.</p> - -<p>“Here he is, Mother,” he sang out, releasing -his captive. “This is Teddy Allison, the best -pal a fellow ever had.”</p> - -<p>Whatever shyness Teddy might have felt -was banished at once by the warmth with which -Mrs. Sturdy drew him to her and gave him a -hug, putting him at ease at once.</p> - -<p>There was a host of questions from Mrs. -Sturdy regarding Ruth, who, the captain in his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[68]</span> -cablegram had assured her, was safe with them -at home. When these queries had been satisfactorily -answered, she in turn told them of the -adventures of herself and her husband after -they had been rescued from the <i>Mercury</i>.</p> - -<p>Tears came into her eyes as, in response to -their first eager queries, she told them that -nothing had developed as to her husband’s -whereabouts since she had sent her cablegram.</p> - -<p>“I’ve searched everywhere,” she said. -“I’ve written and telegraphed to all parts of -Egypt. At first I was crippled for lack of -funds, but after I received the money you sent -I employed private detective agencies as well. -But all of it has resulted in nothing. It is as -though he has vanished off the face of the -earth.”</p> - -<p>At this point she broke down.</p> - -<p>“Oh, if you knew how I have suffered!” she -said. “If you only knew!”</p> - -<p>Don hugged her and tried to comfort her, -and the professor patted her hand consolingly.</p> - -<p>“Never mind, Alice,” he said. “We’re with -you now, and we’ll search the whole length and -breadth of Egypt.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll find him,” asserted the captain, the -very bigness of him adding power to the conviction -in his tone. “You’ve had an awful burden -to bear, you poor girl, but now, as far as -you can, you must shift it to our shoulders.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[69]</span>She looked at them gratefully through her -tears.</p> - -<p>“It would not be so bad,” she resumed, “if -he went by his right name or if he even knew -his name. Then it might be easy to trace him. -But all we have to go by is a description of -him, and that might so easily apply to many -others that you can’t place much reliance on -it.</p> - -<p>“It’s all been like a hideous nightmare since -the <i>Mercury</i> went down,” she resumed. “Richard’s -head was hurt by a block that struck him -in the confusion of getting off into the boat. -The wound healed, however, and for the first -few days he seemed to be all right. It was only -after we had been landed at Bahia in Brazil -and had started on our trip overland to Martin -Clifton’s house, from which we expected to -sail for the United States in the private yacht -he offered to place at our disposal, that I began -to notice something queer about him. His mind -seemed to be dwelling more and more on -Egypt. You know he spent a good deal of time -exploring there before the war.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I know,” said the professor, and the -captain nodded in assent.</p> - -<p>“He kept talking about the Valley of the -Kings in Egypt,” went on Mrs. Sturdy. “At -first I’d try to change the subject and get him to -talk of other things. But he always came back -to the one thing that engrossed his mind. Then<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">[70]</span> -he would talk half to himself about figures and -measurements. He had a tape measure and -would go about the rooms in Mr. Clifton’s -house and get their length and breadth and -height. Then he would put them down on a -piece of paper and after studying them would -mutter. ‘That isn’t it. Must try further.’”</p> - -<p>“Just the very thing you found scribbled on -those bits of paper among his memoranda, -Uncle Amos!” ejaculated Don. “He was looking -for some special thing, something of which -he already had the measurements.”</p> - -<p>“I’m sure it was a tomb of some kind he had -in mind,” said Don’s mother. “Again and -again he would break out with something about -the Tombs of Gold—”</p> - -<p>“The Tombs of Gold!” exclaimed Don, with -a start. “Why, that is what those fellows were -trying to get information about from that old -Egyptian!”</p> - -<p>“The old Egyptian?” repeated Mrs. Sturdy -inquiringly.</p> - -<p>“A man we met on the boat coming here,” -explained Don. “A man named Phalos. I’ll -tell you all about him later. But go on, -mother.”</p> - -<p>“All I could think of was of getting back -home as soon as possible, so that Richard could -get the medical care that he needed,” his -mother continued. “But we were delayed in -starting, and all the time he kept getting worse.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[71]</span> -Oh, it was terrible to see such a splendid intellect -losing itself in delusion,” she sobbed. -“Again and again I felt that I would go crazy -myself.”</p> - -<p>“Poor, dear mother!” said Don, putting his -arms around her neck.</p> - -<p>“One night,” resumed Mrs. Sturdy, when -she could speak coherently, “there was a terrific -storm. The thunder and lightning seemed -to affect him strongly and bring things to a -climax. He and Ruth and I were seated in our -room when he suddenly started up, shouting, ‘I -must go to Egypt,’ and rushed out into the -darkness. I rushed out after him calling to -him to stop and come back. The thunder may -have drowned my voice, but at any rate he -didn’t heed me and kept on.”</p> - -<p>Tears came into Don’s eyes as he pictured -his gently nurtured mother running in a frenzy -of anxiety and grief after his distraught father -in the rain and darkness.</p> - -<p>“No one was abroad in that terrible storm,” -went on Mrs. Sturdy. “There was nobody I -could get to help me. Richard kept on till he -got to the river side. There was a vessel -moored to the wharf and he jumped on board. -I saw him stumble and disappear. I leaped -after him and stumbled into an open hatchway. -That was all I knew for a long time afterward.”</p> - -<p>Don hugged her convulsively, too overcome<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[72]</span> -to trust himself to speak, while the professor -and the captain were not ashamed of the tears -that came into their eyes.</p> - -<p>“When I came to myself,” resumed Don’s -mother, “I was in total darkness. My head -was dizzy, and it was some time before I realized -what had happened. Then it all came -back to me. I could tell from the pitching and -the swaying that the vessel was in motion. I -felt about me and found your father near by. -He was unconscious. After a while he came to -himself in part, though he was still dazed.</p> - -<p>“Then I found a pole and hammered at the -hatch until they heard me and the cover was -taken off. They brought us up on deck. I found -that we were on a vessel bound for the Mediterranean. -There was no wireless on board, so -that I could not communicate with any one on -shore. But the captain and everybody on -board were very kind to us when I had told my -story. There was enough money in Richard’s -pockets to pay for our passage and leave a -modest amount when we should reach shore. -It was a long voyage and a most trying one. -The worst of it was that Richard no longer -recognized me. He declared that he had never -seen me before. He had the delusion that he -was King Ingot of the Bars of Gold.”</p> - -<p>“Poor father! Poor mother!” murmured -Don, his heart wrung by the narration.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[73]</span>“But why didn’t you cable us the instant -you got to shore?” asked the captain.</p> - -<p>“I should have done so, of course,” was the -reply. “But I kept hoping that Richard would -recover, and for his sake I wanted to keep the -matter secret from everybody who knew him, -even from you. I knew it would be a mortifying -memory for him all through his life to have -it known that he had been insane. Any man -would feel that way, and Richard is very sensitive. -If he had recovered, I would never have -divulged the secret, and I would have put Ruth, -too, under a pledge of silence.”</p> - -<p>“I understand, and it does you credit,” said -the captain.</p> - -<p>“Finally,” went on Mrs. Sturdy, “we -reached this city, and I got Richard on shore -and under the care of a physician. But nothing -could be done, the doctor said, except to -keep him as quiet and composed as possible -and depend upon the healing hand of Time to -set his poor mind aright. Physically, he was in -good condition, for the sea voyage had been -beneficial.</p> - -<p>“But instead of getting better mentally, he -steadily grew more irrational. The very fact -that he was now in Egypt, the atmosphere, the -language, the heat, the sights, the sounds, emphasized -his delusion. Night and day he kept -dwelling on the Valley of the Kings. He would -declare that he was the king of the Valley of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[74]</span> -the Kings, and that he must go and look after -his kingdom. And one day he eluded me and -disappeared. No one had seen him go. No one -knew where he had gone. It was then that I -cabled to you. And now you are here, and, oh, -how thankful I am!”</p> - -<p>Once more she broke into a storm of weeping, -for the strain of the narration and the picture -it had brought up before her were too -much for her overtaxed strength.</p> - -<p>The others soothed and comforted her to the -extent of their power.</p> - -<p>“You’ve been just wonderful,” declared -Don, as he hugged her to him.</p> - -<p>“A perfect heroine,” asserted her brother. -“Not one woman in a thousand could have -stood up under such a strain.”</p> - -<p>“I’m mighty proud of you, Alice,” said the -captain, his voice husky with emotion. “But -now all the work and responsibility are going -to be taken off your overburdened shoulders. -It’s up to us now. You must just rest and relax, -or you, too, will break down completely. -And, please God, we’ll bring Richard back to -you, and with care and the greatest skill that -we can command, it won’t be long before he’s -his old splendid self again. Then this terrible -thing will be nothing more to you than a dreadful -dream.”</p> - -<p>Under their thoughtful ministrations and the -delight and reassurance that their presence<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[75]</span> -gave her, Mrs. Sturdy gradually recovered her -composure. They refused to let her talk any -longer just then about her husband’s disappearance, -and chatted with her about Hillville -and Ruth and the other members of the household, -Don bringing a smile from her at Jennie’s -remark about her mistress being all alone -in “the land of the Pigamids and the Spinach.”</p> - -<p>After a while the captain and the professor, -taking Teddy along with them, went out to attend -to the pressing matters in hand. Don -stayed with his mother to tell her of his adventures -in the Sahara and Brazil and the -thousand other things that she was eager to -know about.</p> - -<p>The experience that Don’s uncles had acquired -in their travels about the world stood -them in good stead in the present situation. -Professor Bruce knew the language almost as -well as he did his own, and both were tactful -and at the same time masterful in dealing with -the native races of the East.</p> - -<p>Before night fell they had learned by inquiries -in the native quarters that a man corresponding -to Richard Sturdy’s description -had secured a small party to go with him on -an exploring expedition. There had been no -explicit mention of the Valley of the Kings, but -the party had started south in that direction.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[76]</span>Had they noticed anything peculiar about -the man? the professor asked.</p> - -<p>“Well, Allah seems to have set a mark on -him,” his informant replied. “His eyes were -bright and he said that he was a king. But, -after all, many kings visit Egypt. And then, -all foreigners are queer. He promised to pay -his men well and to double or treble their pay -if he was successful in finding what he was -going for. So there were plenty that were willing -to go.”</p> - -<p>This was much, but it was not enough, and -the two American men, still accompanied by -Teddy, prosecuted their researches untiringly -until they found the wife of one of the party -who had accompanied the bright-eyed man, and -she had heard her husband say that he was -going to the Valley of the Kings.</p> - -<p>“So far, so good!” exclaimed Captain -Sturdy, as, tired but exultant, they made their -way to the European quarter.</p> - -<p>“We at least have a goal to aim for,” declared -the professor.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[77]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VIII<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">A Land of Wonders</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">And</span> now, Teddy,” said the captain, “we’ll -send a cablegram to that father of yours and -tell him all about his prodigal son and ask him -whether you can go with us or whether we’ll -have to bundle you back home.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, please ask him to let me stay with you, -now that I’m here,” begged Teddy.</p> - -<p>He noted with pleasure that the captain no -longer addressed him as “young man.” As a -matter of fact, the captain, who was extremely -fond of the boy, had long ago forgiven him, -and the way Teddy had borne himself in the -encounter with the rascals aboard the steamer -had fully reinstated him in the good graces of -his temporary guardian.</p> - -<p>The cablegram was dispatched, and then, -after some inquiries at a shipping office, the -party made their way back to the hotel.</p> - -<p>Don and his mother were delighted at the -news they had secured.</p> - -<p>“I might have known that things would be -all right as soon as you got here,” said Mrs. -Sturdy gratefully.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[78]</span>“Oh, we old hounds are still some good when -it comes to picking up a trail,” replied her husband’s -brother, with a grin.</p> - -<p>“And now we must get busy and start at -once,” said the professor. “Every hour is -precious.”</p> - -<p>“I can start at almost a minute’s notice,” declared -Mrs. Sturdy.</p> - -<p>The captain hesitated.</p> - -<p>“I know just how you feel, Alice,” he said -slowly. “But, really, I think it would be better -for you not to go with us. The desert is no -place for a woman, and it’s going to be a very -hard and trying expedition.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, but I want to go!” exclaimed Mrs. -Sturdy, disappointment coming into her face.</p> - -<p>“Of course, you naturally would,” rejoined -her brother-in-law. “But all the same I don’t -think it would be wise. You agree with me, -don’t you, Amos?” he asked, turning to Mrs. -Sturdy’s brother.</p> - -<p>“I certainly do,” rejoined the latter. “You -see, Alice, with all you’ve gone through, you’ve -nearly reached the breaking point. Even if -you were perfectly well and strong, it would be -inadvisable; and as things stand, it would be -almost suicidal. We’ve made inquiries at the -shipping office, and a liner is sailing to-morrow. -You need to recuperate in the rest and -quiet of home. And then, too, Ruth needs you.”</p> - -<p>The last proved the strongest argument in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[79]</span> -breaking down Mrs. Sturdy’s reluctance, and -she finally consented.</p> - -<p>The few hours she still had left with Don -were golden ones for both mother and son, and -they spent every moment they could together -before the vessel sailed.</p> - -<p>Her family saw her provided with every possible -comfort on the vessel that was to bear her -to the waiting arms of Ruth, and after loving -leave-takings, stood on the shore and waved to -her until her dear form at the steamer’s rail -could no longer be distinguished.</p> - -<p>Don’s eyes were wet as he turned to go back -to the hotel after the parting from his mother, -but there was a measure of peace and happiness -in his heart to which it had been a -stranger for years. At least, he had found his -mother and held her in his embrace.</p> - -<p>God had been good and restored to him his -mother and sister. Surely he could depend on -Him to help him find his father. The boy took -new courage and mentally girded up his loins -for the coming struggle.</p> - -<p>Those left behind stopped at the telegraph -office on their way back to the hotel and found a -cablegram awaiting them from Mr. Allison. -Captain Sturdy tore it open while Don and -Teddy waited with bated breath.</p> - -<p>The captain read the message aloud:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[80]</span>“Young rascal ought to be spanked. Give -him my love. Would have let him go if I had -known. He can make the trip with you. -Thanks for your kindness. Know he is in good -hands. Will make matters right with you when -you get back.</p> - -<p class="right">“<span class="smcap">Allison.</span>”</p> -</div> - -<p>Don clasped Teddy in his arms after the -reading of the telegram, and the two boys executed -a wild dance on the floor of the office, -much to the scandal of the native clerks, who -looked on open-eyed.</p> - -<p>“Glory hallelujah!” cried Don. “You’re going -with us, Brick! Old scout, you’re going -with us! Do you hear?”</p> - -<p>“It’s the reward of virtue,” said Brick, with -a shameless grin.</p> - -<p>“Virtue!” snorted the captain, trying to -look stern, but not succeeding very well. “It -simply shows that a young scapegrace can -sometimes get by. Come along now. There’s -much to do, and we have to hustle.”</p> - -<p>They “hustled” to such good purpose that -they were able to take the train for Cairo that -afternoon. They were agreeably surprised, or -at least the boys were, to find that they were -in a smart clean train that would compare -favorably with anything in Europe, and that -the express would cover the hundred and fifty -mile trip to Cairo in less than four hours. The -lads had expected the ramshackle affair, common<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[81]</span> -in the East, that would simply drag along -under all condition of discomfort.</p> - -<p>“It’s due to the English occupation,” explained -the professor. “They see that everything -is good and up-to-date and in accord with -Western standards.”</p> - -<p>Through the windows of the train, as it sped -along, the boys saw a fascinating panorama -unfolded. They were in a land that was literally -flowing with milk and honey. As far as -the eye could see, the soil was unbelievably -rich. There were great groves of palm trees, -their feathery fronds waving gracefully in the -air; fields of dark loam that needed only to be -tickled with the hoe to make them laugh; extensive -fields of cotton, looking like heaps of -drifted snow; and plantations of sugar cane, -the stalks crowded so thickly together as to -form what seemed almost an impenetrable forest.</p> - -<p>The coloring of the landscape was also a -dream of beauty. The bright green of the -fields, the reddish brown of the Nile, along -whose banks they often wound, the mellow tints -of yellow rocks under a sky of cerulean blue, -formed a picture to delight the eye of an artist.</p> - -<p>“A wonderful country,” remarked the professor. -“Rich beyond imagination, even after -centuries of Turkish misrule. We can imagine -what it must have been in the days of the -Pharaohs, when every inch of ground was carefully<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[82]</span> -cultivated and when this valley of the Nile -supported an immense population.”</p> - -<p>“What makes it so rich?” asked Teddy.</p> - -<p>“The River Nile,” was the answer. “The -annual overflow of the river leaves a rich deposit -of mud that has gradually grown deeper -with the passage of centuries. Dry up the Nile, -and Egypt would no longer exist. It would be -just like the Sahara. The old Egyptians used -to worship the Nile as a god and pay sacrifices -to it, because they knew their very lives depended -upon it. The priests had pillars, on -which they marked each year the rising of the -waters. If the waters were high there would -be an abundant harvest. If they were low the -crops would be very poor. If unusually low, -the country would be threatened with famine. -In a very real sense the Nile is Egypt. Even -now, beyond the limits of the spread of the -water the country is practically a desert.”</p> - -<p>The old and the new were in perpetual contact -all through the train journey. The railroad -stations were neat and well-kept, with -well-uniformed attendants and English clerks -in spotless white. Around them clustered -scores of beggars extending their skinny hands -toward the car windows and clamoring for -baksheesh. The train passed handsome villas -surrounded by beautiful gardens. These were -within a stone’s throw of squalid mud huts, -with ragged dirty children playing about the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[83]</span> -doors. Donkeys, so heavily laden with sugar -cane that the very heads of the patient animals -were hidden, were prodded along with sticks in -the hands of their drivers. These ancient burden-bearers -disputed the road with modern -motor cars, whose honking horns seemed -strangely out of place in that Oriental setting.</p> - -<p>It was a fascinating study of contrasts, and -it so engrossed the attention of the boys that -it was with a sensation of regret they found -that they were approaching Cairo, the capital -of the kingdom and the greatest city of Africa.</p> - -<p>They had telegraphed to Zeta Phalos that -they were coming, and they found him waiting -for them with a handsome touring car and a -uniformed chauffeur. He waved aside all their -suggestions that they might be taxing his hospitality -too much, and insisted on conveying -them to his home, to be his guests until they set -out on their search.</p> - -<p>There was no denying such friendliness, and -they stepped into the car and were rapidly -whirled to the home of Phalos, which proved -to be a palatial one in the suburbs of the city, -not far from the banks of the Nile.</p> - -<p>It was a beautiful structure, built in harmony -with the climate and surroundings. -There were many rooms opening on balconies -that overlooked a courtyard in which were -plashing fountains, and everything indicated<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[84]</span> -that their host was a man of wealth, as well -as of breeding and culture.</p> - -<p>After a dinner so good that Don and Teddy -ate till for very shame’s sake they had to stop, -the party adjourned to a balcony which fronted -on the river.</p> - -<p>“Gee! pinch me somebody,” exclaimed -Teddy, as he sank into a chair and took in the -full glory of the sunset. “I feel as if I were -living in the days of the Arabian Nights.”</p> - -<p>Don promptly obliged him with a vigorous -pinch.</p> - -<p>“Ouch!” cried Teddy, rubbing the stinging -flesh. “You needn’t be so mighty literal.”</p> - -<p>“A friend will always do what another -friend asks him to,” replied Don virtuously.</p> - -<p>From the Nile came the sound of native -music, as a felucca glided down the stream with -a wide ripple spreading from her bows, the -oars of her crew swaying to the faint sounds -of a chantey, such perhaps as may have been -sung in the days of the Pharaohs. The white -sails of a dahabiyeh gleamed with a rosy tint -in the last rays of the sinking sun. It was a -scene of measureless peace and enchantment, -as far apart from the hubbub and bustle of -the modern world as though it were on another -planet.</p> - -<p>The Americans roused themselves at last -from the trance into which they had fallen. -Phalos was speaking.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[85]</span>“I cannot tell you how glad I am to have -you with me,” he was assuring Don’s uncles. -“The more glad because it is in some sort a -compensation for some bad news that I received -from Alexandria just a few minutes before -you came.”</p> - -<p>“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Professor -Bruce, straightening up in his chair. “May I -ask what it is? That is, if it’s nothing personal -and private.”</p> - -<p>“In a sense I suppose it concerns all of us,” -Phalos answered slowly, toying with his -glasses. “Tezra and Nepahak have landed in -Alexandria!”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[86]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IX<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">Startling News</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Tezra</span> and Nepahak!” exclaimed Don, the -faces of the sinister pair coming up before his -memory.</p> - -<p>“Those precious rascals!” ejaculated Captain -Sturdy, a frown passing over his brow.</p> - -<p>“How do you know that they have landed?” -asked the professor, settling back uneasily into -his seat.</p> - -<p>“From a sure source,” replied Phalos. “A -friend of mine in Alexandria, whom I took into -my confidence regarding my experience on -shipboard and who agreed to have a watch -kept on debarking passengers, brought me -word. He knows the men, and assures me -there is no mistake.”</p> - -<p>“I had thought that by this time they were -below with Davy Jones,” grumbled Teddy.</p> - -<p>“No such luck,” remarked Phalos, with a -smile that did not conceal the deep anxiety he -felt. “They must have made land all right -the night they slipped overboard.”</p> - -<p>“But how could they have got here so -soon?” asked Don, in some perplexity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[87]</span>“Had the luck to get an English liner that -stopped at Gibraltar the day after they had -swum to shore,” was the reply. “My friend -tells me that it is one of the fastest boats on -the line.”</p> - -<p>“They say that the Evil One looks after his -own,” growled the captain.</p> - -<p>“And this is one of the things that seems to -prove it,” added Don.</p> - -<p>“Well,” said the professor, crossing his -legs, “now that they are here, what do you apprehend?”</p> - -<p>“That they’ll be up to mischief right away,” -replied Phalos. “The experience they’ve been -through won’t change the intentions of such -calloused scoundrels. They’ll simply attribute -that to bad luck and try again.”</p> - -<p>“It’s too bad that they have such a grudge -against you,” remarked Don.</p> - -<p>“It isn’t a grudge,” explained the old Egyptian. -“I’ve never done them any harm, -and their feeling toward me isn’t prompted by -revenge. They simply know that I have a valuable -secret, and they are trying to extort it -from me.”</p> - -<p>There was a dead silence in the group that -was in itself a question that all were too polite -to ask.</p> - -<p>Phalos pondered long before he spoke.</p> - -<p>“I have never revealed the secret to a living -soul,” he said at last. “But there is something<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[88]</span> -about you that invites my confidence and assures -me that it will not be betrayed. Besides -I owe you something on the score of gratitude.”</p> - -<p>They waved that aside with a gesture of -their hands.</p> - -<p>“It concerns the tombs of a certain royal -family of an old dynasty of the Pharaohs,” -Zeta Phalos began, while all listened intently. -“I have reason to believe that they exist in the -vicinity of the Valley of the Kings and have -never been discovered or uncovered.”</p> - -<p>“The Valley of the Kings!” exclaimed Don. -“Why, that’s where we’re going in search of -my father.”</p> - -<p>“Exactly,” replied Phalos. “And where -I’m going, too, if you are good enough to let -me form one of your party.”</p> - -<p>“With the greatest of pleasure,” assented -Professor Bruce, while the captain nodded his -head in vigorous agreement. “Your knowledge -of the place will be invaluable to us, to -say nothing of the pleasure we will have from -your company.”</p> - -<p>Phalos inclined his head in courteous acknowledgment.</p> - -<p>“But I thought,” said the captain, “that -practically all of the tombs of the great rulers -of Egypt had been discovered and explored.”</p> - -<p>The Egyptian shook his head.</p> - -<p>“Not all,” he said. “A great many have<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[89]</span> -been opened by scientists and their treasures -lie now in the great museums and libraries of -the old world. Others have been broken into -by thieves and the tombs despoiled of gold and -gems which were sold secretly to whoever -would buy. But great treasures still await the -excavators, as is proved by the recent discovery -of the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, yes,” broke in the professor, “that is -the greatest of them all. I am counting on examining -that when we get to Luxor.”</p> - -<p>“The greatest of them all so far,” qualified -Phalos. “But if I am not mistaken, a still -greater remains to be discovered. Great heaps -of gold and jewels that have dazzled the eyes -and the imaginations of the world have been -found in Tut-ankh-Amen’s tomb. But they will -be surpassed, I think, if we ever discover the -Tombs of Gold.”</p> - -<p>“The Tombs of Gold!” ejaculated the professor, -while Don and Teddy looked at each -other significantly. “Isn’t that rather an extravagant -description? Do you really mean of -gold?”</p> - -<p>“Just that,” replied Phalos soberly. “Not -the tombs themselves, perhaps, but the coffins -and pillars and implements placed there for -the use of the dead.”</p> - -<p>“Just what monarch was buried there?” -asked the professor, with just the faintest -tinge of skepticism in his tone.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[90]</span>“You have heard, of course, of Ras-Ameses,” -replied Phalos.</p> - -<p>“Surely,” replied the professor, with quickened -interest. “The richest and most powerful -ruler of one of the oldest dynasties who -extended his reign over all of Libya and -Ethiopia. The one who is supposed first to -have worked the mines of Ophir.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” assented Phalos, “the one whose -palace was filled with gold and silver ornaments, -whose bed was of solid gold and whose -barbaric splendor has never had a parallel -among the rulers of the East.”</p> - -<p>“Gee,” murmured Don, while Teddy’s lips -puckered for a whistle which he did not emit.</p> - -<p>“And you will remember, too, that his tomb -has never been discovered,” continued Zeta -Phalos.</p> - -<p>“That is so,” agreed the professor. “It has -been the dream of archæologists to find it, but -all of them have been forced to give it up in -despair.”</p> - -<p>“That,” pronounced Phalos, with a tincture -of pride in the solemnity of his tone, “is the -tomb that I expect to find.”</p> - -<p>The Americans looked at him, startled, and, -despite themselves, were a little incredulous.</p> - -<p>“It will be one of the greatest triumphs of -modern discovery if you do,” replied the professor, -after a moment.</p> - -<p>“What makes you think you have a clue to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[91]</span> -its whereabouts?” asked Don, in deep interest.</p> - -<p>“It is a curious story,” replied Phalos, smiling -at the boy. “One of the romances of -archæology.</p> - -<p>“Many years ago, when I was still strong -and vigorous, I was riding in a remote part of -the Valley of the Kings. Above me towered a -great overhanging cliff that cast a grateful -shadow over the road and prompted me to get -off my horse and rest there while I had my -midday meal.</p> - -<p>“The place was off from the beaten road of -travel, and there was nothing to distract my attention. -I lay there after my meal for a while, -stretched out on my back, looking up idly at the -great face of the cliff. At a height of perhaps -three hundred feet, I could make out what -seemed to be carvings or symbols of some sort.</p> - -<p>“While I was looking, a piece of stone fell -off the surface and dropped almost at my feet. -I picked it up and saw curious hieroglyphics -on it. I was an ardent student of the ancient -writings, and had no trouble in making out the -name of Ras-Ameses.”</p> - -<p>Professor Bruce gave vent to an exclamation.</p> - -<p>“That made the blood thrill in my veins,” -resumed Phalos. “I knew, of course, the -mystery that had always veiled the last resting -place of that monarch, and it seemed as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[92]</span> -though chance had placed the key to the puzzle -in my hands.</p> - -<p>“Right then and there, I resolved to follow -the matter up. I made my way up the almost -perpendicular side of the cliff, with only my -hands and feet to aid me, until I reached a -narrow ledge, where the old stone masons must -have stood when they first made the inscription. -It was risky work, for a slip would have -meant certain death.</p> - -<p>“I could copy part of the inscription from -there, but a time soon came when I had to -have a ladder to climb further. I had to drag -the ladder up with a rope and place it in -position almost upright on the ledge perpendicularly -against the face of the rock. The -least little movement on my part would have -overbalanced and plunged me outward and -down to the foot of the cliff.”</p> - -<p>“Risky work!” exclaimed the captain, looking -at the old Egyptian with the look in his eyes -that one brave man has for another.</p> - -<p>“I was young, and perhaps foolhardy, then,” -replied Phalos. “I remember one day when I -escaped death almost by a miracle. I was on -the ladder which I had thrown, equipped with -hooks, over a rocky ledge above me. Suddenly -the lower part of the ladder broke and I was -left clutching the upper part and swinging over -the precipice. I had to pull myself up hand<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[93]</span> -over hand on the upper rungs until I reached -to the top and safety.”</p> - -<p>“A mighty close call!” ejaculated Don, who -was following the narration with breathless -interest.</p> - -<p>“Somewhat,” agreed Phalos, with a smile. -“But I finally copied the inscription and -brought it home to study it. It proved to be one -of the boastful inscriptions of his power and -glory that Ras-Ameses had probably composed -before his death, leaving orders that it should -be inscribed where it would probably endure -for ages. The fact that it was in a place where -it might never be read made no difference. -What he was concerned with was its eternity. -The gods at least would have a record of his -exploits.</p> - -<p>“He enumerates his vast wealth and gives a -description of the treasures he had ordered to -be placed in his tomb, where other members of -the royal family also were buried or to be -buried. There were golden chariots, which he -expected to drive in the future world. There -were golden beds, on which he expected to recline. -There were gem-studded vases of alabaster -containing precious perfumes and ointments. -There was a golden boat that would be -used in ferrying him over the dark waters of -the underworld. And all of these are described -with a definiteness and particularity that carry -conviction.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[94]</span>He paused and looked about him.</p> - -<p>“But where are the tombs containing all -these treasures?” asked Don breathlessly, before -the others, equally excited, could speak.</p> - -<p>“As to that I have only indications,” was -the reply. “The references to them are vague -and mysterious in the inscription. But there -is enough to make me feel sure that with patience -and the proper assistants I can eventually -find them.”</p> - -<p>The professor cleared his throat.</p> - -<p>“Are you sure that you are the only man -alive who possesses these clews?” he asked.</p> - -<p>Zeta Phalos was silent for a moment.</p> - -<p>“As far as I know, I am,” he replied. “And -yet,” he went on, with some slight hesitation, -“I have sometimes suspected that one other -man might have the key to the secret.”</p> - -<p>“Who is that?” asked the captain quickly.</p> - -<p>“Richard Sturdy,” was the answer.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[95]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER X<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">In Great Danger</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> was a gasp from the members of the -party at Zeta Phalos’ words, and Don bounded -to his feet.</p> - -<p>“My father!” he cried.</p> - -<p>“What makes you think my brother knew -anything about this?” asked the captain, with -as much agitation as he ever permitted himself -to show.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Sturdy and I were firm friends when -he was here on his first exploring expedition,” -replied Phalos. “I admired him because of -his fine intellect; and then, too, his passion for -research along the same lines as my own drew -us together. Many a time he has been a guest -in my home, and, seated right on this balcony, -we have discussed the things we had in common. -More than once we had spoken of -Ras-Ameses and the mystery concerning his -burial place. I had at that time made my discovery -of the inscription, but was keeping it a -safely guarded secret.</p> - -<p>“It happened that we were once both at the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[96]</span> -Valley of the Kings at the same time, though -with different parties. One day, while riding -along at the foot of the cliff on which I had discovered -the inscription, a piece of paper fluttered -down from the rock. I wondered where -it could have come from. I picked it up and -found that it bore creases in it that resembled -hieroglyphics. I knew that they formed part -of the inscription. You can imagine something -of my surprise and consternation at the thought -that perhaps some one else was the sharer of -my secret.</p> - -<p>“I had a pair of powerful glasses with me -and unslung them and focused them upon the -rock. I could distinctly see other bits of paper -on various portions of the inscription. Then -I understood, and, although I was chagrined, -I was filled with admiration for some one’s -ingenuity.</p> - -<p>“The man, whoever it was, had approached -the matter from the top of the cliff. He had -wet broad sheets of paper and lowered them -from the top with a flat board behind them so -as to press them against the inscription. The -letters made creases in the wet paper. As soon -as the paper was dry, he had drawn it up -and probably filled in the creases with ink or -pencil. Thus he would eventually have a complete -copy of the inscription, and could decipher -it at his leisure.”</p> - -<p>“An extremely ingenious method,” commented<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[97]</span> -the professor, “and one that makes me -proud of my brother-in-law, if he were the -author.”</p> - -<p>“What makes you think that my father was -the one who did it?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“My thought would have leaped to him at -once because of his brilliancy,” replied Phalos. -“But I had something a little more definite -than that. I turned over the bit of paper I -had in my hand and saw that a name had been -scribbled on it. Only a few of the letters remained, -but I could make out ‘urdy.’”</p> - -<p>“Fairly conclusive,” agreed the captain.</p> - -<p>“Later on, when I met Mr. Sturdy,” resumed -Phalos, “I could see that he was intensely -excited over something. I tried to sound him -out casually, but he evaded me. I was sure -that he had made what he thought was a great -discovery.”</p> - -<p>“That’s what he must have had in mind -when he kept talking to mother about the -Tombs of Gold!” exclaimed Don.</p> - -<p>“Did he really speak of them?” asked -Phalos, much interested. “That goes still further -toward confirming my suspicion. The -thought that had been with him on and off for -years must have taken full possession of him -when his mind became deranged, to the exclusion -of everything else.”</p> - -<p>“That makes it all the more likely,” observed -the captain, “that we’ll find him somewhere<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[98]</span> -in the vicinity of the Valley of the -Kings, where the inscription was discovered.”</p> - -<p>“Precisely so,” agreed the old Egyptian. -“However, the search may lead him far afield, -for I have reason to believe that the tombs -themselves are at some distance from the place -where the inscription was found. That inscription -was placed there because the towering -cliff offered the spot where it was most likely -to endure for ages.”</p> - -<p>“It was certainly a lucky day for us when -we met you on the steamer,” declared Don enthusiastically.</p> - -<p>“A luckier day for me,” returned Phalos, -with a smile. “Is it understood then?” he -asked, turning to Don’s uncles, “that we join -hands and prosecute our search together?”</p> - -<p>“Most gladly on our part,” replied the captain -and the professor in one breath.</p> - -<p>“Then we’ll consider it settled,” said the old -Egyptian. “I have a steam dahabiyeh moored -in the river, and if you are agreeable, we will -sail on that up the river to Luxor. I think you -will find it the most pleasant mode of traveling, -and there will be plenty of room for the baggage -and supplies we shall need to take along.”</p> - -<p>“That will be fine,” replied the captain. -“And who knows but that the wishes of all our -hearts may be fulfilled in the finding of my -brother and also of the Tombs of Gold.”</p> - -<p>“All things are in the hands of Allah,” replied<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[99]</span> -Phalos, who, although a cosmopolite, -clung to the formula of his Mohammedan faith.</p> - -<p>The next two days were busy ones for the -adults of the party, as much had to be purchased -in the way of implements and supplies -for what might prove a long sojourn in the -desert.</p> - -<p>Don and Teddy had a good deal of time on -their hands, and the professor suggested that -they go out to Gizeh to see the Pyramids and -the Sphinx. They needed no urging, for these -mighty wonders of the world had long made a -strong appeal to their imaginations. The boys -had seen them pictured many times, but that -was nothing compared to seeing the marvelous -constructions that were old when Rome was -young, and under whose shadows Cæsar and -Napoleon had paced and been reminded of their -own littleness.</p> - -<p>Their elders were too busy to go with them, -and besides had seen them before. So Don -and Teddy secured a native guide and rode on -donkeys toward the massive creations, the -greatest built by human hands, that loomed up -in the brightness of the Egyptian sunshine.</p> - -<p>They were prepared to be impressed, but -that word was too weak to express their feeling -of awe when they stood before the largest -pyramid of the three and gazed aloft at its -towering top. Overpowered would have come -nearer to their actual state of mind.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[100]</span>There the greatest of the three pyramids, -that of King Cheops, reared itself toward the -skies, originally nearly five hundred feet in -height and with a base so broad that the boys -had to trudge through the sands for half a -mile before they had compassed it. It stood -there, apparently as immutable as time itself, -a tremendous monument of the great civilization -that had once flourished on the banks of -the Nile.</p> - -<p>“How on earth could they build anything -like that?” asked Teddy, under his breath.</p> - -<p>“Uncle Amos says that nobody knows,” replied -Don. “He says that it’s doubtful -whether modern engineers could do it at all, -even with the tools they have to-day and that -they didn’t have when these were built six -thousand years ago. Probably it was done -almost altogether by man power.</p> - -<p>“Uncle Amos says that it took a hundred -thousand men ten years just to build the sloping -road that led up to it. And it took that -many men thirty years to build this one Pyramid. -They must have had ropes with thousands -of men hauling the stones along on -rollers and then pulling them up and piling -them on each other.”</p> - -<p>“If one of the ropes broke, the stones -tumbling down must have crushed hundreds at -a time,” remarked Teddy. “I guess it wasn’t<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[101]</span> -peaches and cream to be a laborer in those -days.”</p> - -<p>“I guess not,” agreed Don. “Little old -America is good enough for me.”</p> - -<p>Five hundred yards away from the Great -Pyramid was the head of the Sphinx, that lion-bodied, -human-headed mystery of the ages, -carved out of the mother rock that forms the -floor of the desert. Nearly two hundred feet -from the tip of its paws to the end of its -back, it rose sixty-five feet in the air, gazing -out over the desert in immutable stony silence.</p> - -<p>“What that could tell if it could speak,” -murmured Don.</p> - -<p>After some further explorations the two -boys turned toward the city, which lay white-walled -and glittering in the afternoon sun.</p> - -<p>That evening the captain, looking over one -of his suitcases, noted the absence of one of -his revolvers.</p> - -<p>“I was cleaning and oiling some of my -weapons down in the dahabiyeh,” he said, after -looking about fruitlessly for a time. “I -thought I’d brought them all back here but I -must have left that 38-caliber there. Would -you mind running down there, Don, and taking -a look for it? You’ll find one of the men in -charge.”</p> - -<p>“Sure, I will,” responded Don, and went off -at once.</p> - -<p>The dahabiyeh of Zeta Phalos was perhaps a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[102]</span> -quarter of a mile away moored to a wharf. -Don had already visited it that morning, and -had no trouble in reaching it. The native -watchman, Ismillah, greeted him with a smile -that showed all his gleaming teeth and helped -Don look for the revolver, that had slipped behind -one of the cushions.</p> - -<p>With a word of thanks, Don turned to go -back. As in most ports, the district along the -waterfront was low and disreputable. The -streets were narrow and ill-lighted.</p> - -<p>As Don was passing along one of the darkest -of the streets, two men stepped out from -an alley and confronted him.</p> - -<p>Don’s heart gave a sudden bound as he recognized -them.</p> - -<p>They were Tezra and Nepahak!</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[103]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XI<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">A Dash for Liberty</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">That</span> the rascals had been waiting for Don -was evident from the fact that they showed no -surprise at the meeting. On the contrary, there -was a look of evil determination on their faces -that betrayed a deliberate plan. It was evident -that they had been lurking about the Phalos -villa, had seen the boy depart, noted his route -and planned to waylay him on his return.</p> - -<p>“So here you are,” snarled Tezra, thrusting -his face close to Don’s.</p> - -<p>“Don’t seem to be anywhere else, do I?” -answered Don, with an airiness that he was far -from feeling.</p> - -<p>“You will wish you were, before we get -through with you,” growled Nepahak, at the -same time putting his hand to his belt.</p> - -<p>Don had been thinking rapidly. Had the revolver -he was carrying in his pocket been -loaded, it would have put him more on a par -with his enemies. But it contained no cartridges. -He had seen that when he picked it up.</p> - -<p>Revolvers, however, have more uses than<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[104]</span> -one. Don, who was as quick as lightning, -plucked it from his pocket and threw it with -all his force at Tezra’s head. It struck that -worthy full between the eyes, and he went down -with a crash.</p> - -<p>Scarcely waiting to see the result of the blow, -Don lashed out with both fists at Nepahak. -The latter had been staggered at the sudden -downfall of his more dominant companion, to -whom he played the role of jackal. He had no -stomach for punishment, and, bewildered by -the storm of blows that Don rained on him, -made scarcely more than a pretext at resistance. -In a moment he had turned and made -off with as much speed as his short legs could -master.</p> - -<p>Tezra was trying to stagger to his feet. Had -he been unconscious, Don would have stayed -and done what he could for him, even though -he was his enemy. As it was, Don picked up -the revolver, with a mental blessing for the service -it had rendered him, and hurried away -until he had reached a broad and brightly -lighted thoroughfare. Then he abated his speed, -though still walking rapidly, until he reached -the villa of Phalos.</p> - -<p>“What’s up?” asked his Uncle Frank -quickly, as he noted Don’s panting breath and -his flushed face.</p> - -<p>“Had a run in with those two beauties, Tezra -and Nepahak,” explained Don, sinking into a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">[105]</span> -chair and tossing the revolver on the table.</p> - -<p>“Tezra and Nepahak!” exclaimed the professor. -“Have those birds of evil omen turned -up again?”</p> - -<p>“Very much so,” answered Don.</p> - -<p>“Are you hurt?” asked the captain anxiously.</p> - -<p>“Not a bit,” was the answer. “Only winded. -I beat it out of the neighborhood while the -going was good.”</p> - -<p>“What became of the skunks?” asked Brick.</p> - -<p>“The last I saw of them, Nepahak was legging -it down the street and Tezra was just -getting up from the sidewalk.”</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid you’ve been fighting again,” -said Brick, in mock reproof but with vast delight.</p> - -<p>“Tell us just what happened,” urged Professor -Bruce.</p> - -<p>“Those fellows stepped out of a dark alley -and held me up,” replied Don. “Told me they -were going to make me wish I was somewhere -else. As a matter of fact, that’s just what I -was wishing. I might have parleyed with them, -but Nepahak was reaching for a knife. I remembered -what you’ve told me about getting -in the first blow, Uncle Frank, so I soaked -Tezra with the revolver. Then I lammed into -Nepahak, and he started running. I thought -that was a good thing, so I started running -too—in the opposite direction. That’s all.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">[106]</span>“That’s all!” mimicked Brick. “Knocked -the daylights out of both of them. That’s all!”</p> - -<p>“It seems to be quite enough,” said the professor, -with a smile.</p> - -<p>“You’re all there, my boy, and I’m proud -of you. Trust the Sturdys to give a good account -of themselves and live up to their name,” -observed the captain. “But it makes me uneasy -to learn that Tezra and Nepahak have -turned up again. I’m afraid it bodes no good -for our friend Phalos or the purpose of our -expedition.”</p> - -<p>Their host came in at that moment and -caught the names of his enemies.</p> - -<p>“What is it I hear about them?” he asked, -with a worried face. “Are they in Cairo?”</p> - -<p>“They were, up to a few minutes ago,” replied -Don, and repeated the essential parts -of his adventure. Phalos listened intently.</p> - -<p>“I’m glad you came so well out of it,” he -remarked, when Don had finished. “But it -simply shows that my foreboding was correct -when I told you they would not easily relinquish -their purpose. It is possible that they -meant to extort from you all that you knew -about our proposed trip and then do away with -you. The river was close at hand, and it has -served as a cover for many tragedies.”</p> - -<p>“Could you not set the police on their tracks -and put the villains in jail?” queried the professor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[107]</span>“I suppose I could,” replied Phalos. “But -I hesitate to do that, because of the publicity -that would attend to it. The reason for their -attempts on me and this last attack on Don -might come to light, and it would thus become -known that I have this secret about the Tombs -of Gold, or that Tezra and Nepahak suspect I -have. And I want to keep that from the public -at all hazards.”</p> - -<p>“How did those fellows learn that you had -such a secret?” asked Don, voicing a question -that had been more than once in the mind of -each member of the party.</p> - -<p>“I lay it to a thievish servant I once had,” -returned their host. “I made two copies of the -inscription. One of these I kept always locked -in the safe, of which I alone know the combination. -The other was also usually deposited in -the safe, but I took it out frequently to study -it.</p> - -<p>“One day, when I was looking it over, I was -summoned suddenly out of the room on urgent -business. Shortly after I returned I found -that one of the sheets was missing. I searched -for it everywhere, but could find no trace of -it. I examined all the servants. All denied -any knowledge of it. But one of them was so -evasive and flustered that I felt sure he was -the guilty one. I caught him later directly in -the act of stealing household articles and discharged -him.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[108]</span>“And your theory about the missing sheet -is what?” asked the professor.</p> - -<p>“That the man, knowing the store I set by -the manuscript, stole it with the idea of selling -it,” replied Phalos. “He did not dare to take -it all, but thought that one sheet would not be -missed. Some time later I saw him on the -street in close consultation with Tezra and -Nepahak, who have an evil reputation in this -city.”</p> - -<p>“What was on the missing sheet?” asked -the captain.</p> - -<p>“Just enough to tell that the inscription bore -on the tombs of Ras-Ameses,” replied Phalos. -“Everybody in Egypt knows that his -tomb has never been discovered and that it is -supposed to contain fabulous riches. Luckily -there was nothing on the stolen paper giving -the slightest clue as to where the tomb was to -be found.”</p> - -<p>“That was a bit of luck, but a precious one,” -observed Professor Bruce.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” answered Phalos, nodding his head. -“But it was easy to jump to the conclusion that -the rest of the manuscript told the story that -the thieves were so anxious to know. They felt -sure that I was in possession of the secret. -Hence their persistent attempts to wrest it from -me.”</p> - -<p>“I see,” said the captain. “Tezra and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[109]</span> -Nepahak believed that if they could find that -tomb they would be rich for life.”</p> - -<p>“And I have no doubt they would,” returned -their host. “Rich beyond the dreams -of avarice.”</p> - -<p>“Well, they’ll have a sweet time getting the -best of us,” boasted Don.</p> - -<p>The captain laughed, then, the look coming -into his eyes that more than once had made his -enemies quail, he observed:</p> - -<p>“You are right, Don. They certainly will.”</p> - -<p>“I believe it,” said Phalos, with a courteous -inclination of his head. “And my mind is more -at rest than it has been for months, now that I -have such valuable reinforcements. All we can -do now is to keep our eyes open and deal with -those rascals as opportunity offers.”</p> - -<p>By the next afternoon, the preparations of -the party were completed, and they embarked -on the dahabiyeh, which was manned by a crew -in which the owner had complete confidence.</p> - -<p>Their voyage up the storied river was replete -with beauty and romance. All the glory -of ancient Egypt seemed embodied in that wonderful -stream, that is in some respects the most -remarkable river in the world. The senses of -the Americans were fairly steeped in its glamour -and mystery as they sat under the awnings -in the day, with the sunlight falling on -the rippling surface and reflected in a thousand<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[110]</span> -diamond glints, or at night, when the full -moon flooded it with solemn splendor.</p> - -<p>But the witchery of the mighty river could -not divert Don’s thoughts from his father.</p> - -<p>Was he still alive? Had he succumbed to -hardships? Was he wandering bewildered and -dazed under the scorching suns of that foreign -country? What had befallen him? Where -would they find him, if they found him at all? -And even if he were discovered and taken -home, would all the skill in the world be able to -restore the splendid mind he had been dowered -with at birth?</p> - -<p>All these questions kept tormenting Don -without ceasing, and he had a furious impatience -for the end of the journey. His heart -leaped with joy when they finally reached -Luxor, on the site of the former city of Thebes, -the magnificent capital in ancient times of the -kingdom of Egypt.</p> - -<p>Dusk was still lingering in the sky when the -dahabiyeh drew up to the city, but it was still -light enough to see across the river the massive -cliffs that hemmed in the Valley of the Kings, -that royal mausoleum of scores of great rulers -who had had to bow to a stronger hand than -theirs, and yet even in death clung to the relics -of their pomp and power.</p> - -<p>Don thrilled as he looked at those towering -cliffs. At their base was the far-famed Valley -of the Kings. The words that had been so<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[111]</span> -often on his father’s lips! The valley where -even now his father might be laboring feverishly, -following what? A genuine light or a -mere will o’ the wisp?</p> - -<p>The boy could scarcely wait till daylight, and -almost as soon as the dawn had reddened the -sky he and the rest of his party, only less -eager than himself, were afoot and getting -ready for their trip.</p> - -<p>They breakfasted well at the excellent hotel -kept for the accommodation of tourists from -all over the world who yearly visit the far-famed -spot and who just then were in greater -force than usual, drawn by the wonderful discoveries -recently made at the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen.</p> - -<p>There was still a certain freshness in the -morning air when, after breakfast, the party -set out; but by the time they had crossed the -river the sun was beginning to make itself felt, -and by the time they had reached the celebrated -valley it was beating down on them with -a fierceness that reminded them of the Sahara.</p> - -<p>At last the huge piles of rubble and débris -that testified to the work of the diggers apprized -them of the approach to the most wonderful -cemetery on earth.</p> - -<p>A more desolate spot it would be hard to -imagine. There was not the slightest trace of -vegetation, not a tree, not a flower, not a blade -of grass. The birds avoided it, and the only<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[112]</span> -trace of animal life was found in the bats that -haunted the tombs in myriads.</p> - -<p>But there was plenty of human life in evidence, -men guarding the tombs and scores of -others digging in the foothills that rose until -they were lost in the mountainous cliffs that -rimmed the valley.</p> - -<p>The searching party passed the wonderful -temple of Queen Hatshepsut, with its rows of -pillars standing like sentinels against the dark -mountain masses beyond. Soon they were at -the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen, the most remarkable -discovery of its kind in modern times.</p> - -<p>Don had already heard of the romantic history -of that discovery, how the hidden site had -been passed over again and again, how for over -sixteen years Lord Carnarvon and Howard -Carter had toiled among those dreary wastes, -and how at last, when hope had almost been -abandoned, the stubbing of a toe had revealed -a step that led down into the tomb that proved -a veritable treasure trove which threw all previous -discoveries in the shade.</p> - -<p>Now, with his companions, he gazed with -fascinated interest on the many treasures that -still remained, though most of them had been -packed and sent to Cairo for safe keeping. -They penetrated into the inner shrine and had -a mere glimpse of the sarcophagus, at that -time still unopened, that was believed to contain -the mummy of the monarch who once<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">[113]</span> -reigned supreme over Upper and Lower -Egypt.</p> - -<p>“Think what it must have meant,” said the -professor, who of all the party, with the possible -exception of Phalos, most fully grasped -the stupendous importance of the discovery, -“when after all those years of strenuous toil -and bitter disappointment, the discoverers -penetrated into the outer chamber of the tomb.</p> - -<p>“Their eyes were fairly dazzled by the -wealth revealed to them. Its money value -could be counted in millions, but it was not -of this they were chiefly thinking. There were -beautifully carved beds inlaid with ivory and -semi-precious stones, golden sandals, chariots -encrusted with gold and jewels, statues holding -golden maces, chairs of ebony and ivory -vases of alabaster and scores of other treasures -so rich as to be almost unbelievable.</p> - -<p>“Then there was a multitude of other things, -which, while not so intrinsically valuable, were -of immense importance in showing the life and -customs of ancient Egypt—musical instruments, -toys, clothes and robes for all occasions. -There were rolls of papyri, which are expected, -when deciphered, to add enormously to our -knowledge of the times of the Pharaohs. And -there were provisions for the dead on the last -journey, trussed ducks, haunches of venison, all -packed in the boxes where they were laid away -by the royal chef, thirty-three centuries ago.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">[114]</span>Teddy nudged Don.</p> - -<p>“The Egyptians had some good ideas,” he -ventured in a whisper. “That last idea about -the ducks and venison hits me hard.”</p> - -<p>“What did you say?” asked the professor, -stopping short.</p> - -<p>“I—I said the Egyptians had some good -ideas,” stammered Teddy, a flush suffusing his -face.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">[115]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XII<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">The Night Prowler</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">I’m</span> glad you are so interested,” said Professor -Bruce innocently. “Many of the people -who come here have no real appreciation of -what they see or hear. Their souls don’t rise -above material things.”</p> - -<p>Don gave Teddy a vigorous poke in the ribs -that luckily passed unnoticed.</p> - -<p>There were other tombs in the vicinity, that -of Seti I and Amenophis II, the latter lying -extended on his sarcophagus in the full glare -of an electric light that seemed altogether too -modern to be in harmony with a dwelling of -the dead.</p> - -<p>It was singular that the scene should have -left no sense of depression on the spectators, -such as they would have felt had they been in -a modern cemetery. But so many centuries -had elapsed that the tombs and their contents -seemed to them merely historical relics. The -haze of ages enveloped them. It was hard for -them to think that the dried-up mummies had -once been breathing living figures, that before -these kings, whom the superstitious people regarded -as gods, thousands had bowed in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">[116]</span> -adoration, that upon their word hung the issues -of life and death.</p> - -<p>So it was with the feeling of being in a great -museum that they passed from one to the other -of the great monuments of antiquity adding -momentarily to their knowledge of the mighty -civilization that had flourished there in the -dawn of recorded history, thousands of years -before America had been discovered.</p> - -<p>“Seems to me that the Egyptians thought -more about dying than they did about living,” -commented Don.</p> - -<p>“It would seem so at first sight,” conceded -the professor. “As a matter of fact, they got -a good deal of enjoyment out of life. That is, -the wealthier classes did. It must be admitted -that the life of the poorer people was hard, -much like that of the coolies of China to-day. -But those with more money seemed to have indulged -in all the pleasures that money could -buy. The paintings on the walls of the palaces -and temples show them at banquets, at races, -engaged in hunting, and in all manner of -sports.”</p> - -<p>“Why did they pay so much attention to -their tombs, then?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“That was a result of their religion,” replied -his Uncle Amos. “It was of the greatest -importance that the body should be preserved -after death. The Egyptians believed -that every human being possessed a double that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">[117]</span> -was a perfect duplicate of himself, and that the -life of the double depended upon having a body -to return to after its journey to the other -world. If the double came back and found the -body gone, it would perish. And the loss of -immortality was too dreadful a thing to contemplate. -That’s why they took so much pains -to embalm the body.”</p> - -<p>“Why did they have statues of the dead man -in the tomb?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“That was to ‘play safe,’ as you would call -it,” answered the professor, with a smile. -“There was always a chance that the body -might be destroyed. In that case, the next best -thing would be to have a likeness of the dead -man for the double to come back into. And in -order that the double shouldn’t make a mistake, -they painted the likeness of the man on -the statue.”</p> - -<p>“So that the double wouldn’t get in the -wrong pew,” murmured Teddy, but taking -care this time that he should not be heard by -his elders.</p> - -<p>“In the case of kings,” continued the professor, -“there were usually several statues, so -that if one were broken or stolen he would still -have a chance for a future life.”</p> - -<p>“What was the idea of putting the provisions -in the tomb?” asked Don, giving Teddy -a surreptitious poke.</p> - -<p>“Because the Egyptians believed that the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">[118]</span> -needs of the future would be very similar to -those of the present,” was the reply. “The -soul, or double, would need food and drink just -the same as the person did here. So jars of -water and plenty of bread and meat were -placed beside the mummy.</p> - -<p>“Then, too, the rich man would need servants -to wait on him. So they made little -statuettes that were supposed to go with the -double and do his work. The double would -need a barge or other kind of boat to ferry him -over the holy waters to the Fields of the -Blessed. That was the reason for the boat that -you saw in the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen.”</p> - -<p>“How about the people who were too poor -to do that kind of thing?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“They got around it by having pictures of -those things, the food and boats and other necessaries -painted on the walls of the tomb,” answered -his uncle.</p> - -<p>“Not much nourishment in that,” Teddy -whispered to Don.</p> - -<p>“Those manuscripts you saw,” continued -the professor, “were what is called the ‘Book -of the Dead.’ They told the dead man what -answers to give when he stood before Osiris, -the supreme judge who weighed his character -and decided whether he was worthy to enter -Paradise. Among other things, he was instructed -to say: ‘I have not stolen’; ‘I have -not lied’; ‘I have not killed.’ You see the general<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">[119]</span> -idea of what was right and what was -wrong was very much the same then as it is -now.”</p> - -<p>The time passed quickly, and when the party -emerged from the latest of the tombs they had -visited, the sun was high in the heavens and -the valley was like an oven.</p> - -<p>As they passed the different gangs of diggers -they made inquiries of the overseers regarding -Mr. Sturdy. The officials listened with -courtesy, and in some cases with interest, but -none of them could give any information. -None could be found who had seen such a man -as Phalos or Professor Bruce described. Nor -had they heard the name. The latter of course -was not surprising, for, as Don bitterly reflected, -his father did not even know his own -name.</p> - -<p>“No help to be gained from these sources,” -the captain summed up after a series of disheartening -experiences. “It’s strictly up to us -to do the finding ourselves. Now let’s get back -to Luxor and make our final preparations.”</p> - -<p>There were many other wonders in the vicinity -that under other circumstances the lads, -especially, would have liked to visit, such -as the Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Karnak, -but everything else must be abandoned or -deferred in their overwhelming desire to find -Don’s father.</p> - -<p>There had been much debate among the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">[120]</span> -members of the party as to the motive power -of the expedition. The captain, remembering -the value of the automobiles in their Sahara -trip, would have preferred them. But inquiry -both at Cairo and at Luxor had shown them -that there was none to be had of the -type wanted, and the ordinary kind without the -caterpillar tread, would have been of no use in -the desert.</p> - -<p>Had they expected their search to be confined -entirely to the Valley of the Kings, they -would have used donkeys, the common mode of -travel in that vicinity. But this idea also was -abandoned, because of the supplies that would -be needed for the animals.</p> - -<p>So they finally decided on camels, the “ships -of the desert,” whose padded hoofs seemed especially -made to travel the sandy wastes and -who could go for days without water in case -of necessity.</p> - -<p>The captain and the professor, in their frequent -journeys in Oriental countries, had -learned to ride the beasts without difficulty. -Teddy, too, during the time he was in charge -of the Algerian, Alam Bokaru, master of -camels, had become fairly expert.</p> - -<p>To Don, however, though he had occasionally -mounted one of the brutes, it was something to -be mastered. But as they had to remain at -Luxor for a couple of days, owing to the delay -in receiving the permit for excavations, for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">[121]</span> -which Zeta Phalos had applied to the Egyptian -Government, he had plenty of time to learn -and had soon conquered the swaying, sickening -sensations that beset the novice.</p> - -<p>Who should accompany the party had been -a subject of much thought on the part of -Phalos.</p> - -<p>“I do not think that we shall have to do -much digging,” he said, as he was discussing -the matter with the captain and the professor. -“If my indications are correct, it will be a matter -of finding a certain entrance rather among -the rocks than the sands. And the main thing, -anyway, is to find that entrance. If we find -that much excavation is needed, we can retrace -our steps and get a force of laborers. In -the meantime, the fewer we have with us, the -better our chances of not having our secret betrayed.”</p> - -<p>“Right you are,” agreed the captain.</p> - -<p>“But we shall need some one to take care of -the animals, shan’t we?” asked Don, who was -standing near.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Phalos, smiling on the eager, -level-headed boy. “And for that purpose I -have fixed on Ismillah and Abdul. They have -been in my household for years. Their fathers -served my father. They are absolutely trustworthy -and devoted to me. Ismillah is an excellent -cook and handy man, and Abdul knows -all there is to be known about camels.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">[122]</span>So it was settled, and after the permits had -arrived and all the supplies secured that would -be needed for the trip, the searchers set out on -their double quest—to seek for Mr. Sturdy and -for the Tombs of Gold.</p> - -<p>The first was by far the most important, to -the Americans of the party at least, and it was -to this they gave their chief attention.</p> - -<p>They traversed the Valley of the Kings, -stopping at every place where excavations were -going on to make inquiries of the foremen in -charge. But always the answer was in the -negative, until a doubt began to creep into -Don’s mind whether his father had ever -reached the spot that had possessed so strong -a fascination for his deranged mind. When -two days had thus been passed fruitlessly, -this doubt became almost a conviction.</p> - -<p>In the course of their journeying, they -passed the cliff from which Phalos had copied -the inscription. It was at a dizzy height, and -increased their respect for the man who had -dared its perils.</p> - -<p>The captain unslung his field glasses and -passed them around, so that all could have a -look at the curious writing that had withstood -the centuries. They studied it with interest, -Don far more acutely than that of any other -member of the party, because of his belief that -his father had also risked his life in securing -a copy of those queer hieroglyphics.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">[123]</span>“How on earth could any one read such -writings?” asked Teddy.</p> - -<p>“They couldn’t up to a little more than a -hundred years ago,” replied Zeta Phalos, with -a smile. “The knowledge of it had passed -utterly out of the mind of man for nearly two -thousand years.</p> - -<p>“Then, at the time Napoleon was in Egypt, -one of his engineers in digging a fort uncovered -a stone, not much bigger than you could -carry in your hands, that had on it three different -kinds of writing. One was Greek, another -was in the writing of the common people -of old Egypt, and the third was in the writing -used by the Egyptian priesthood similar to -what you see up there. The stone was called -the Rosetta stone, and is now in the British -Museum.</p> - -<p>“Of course, the Greek could be read, and -scholars were struck by the idea that the other -inscriptions referred to the same thing. So -they compared the Greek with the other characters -and so learned what the symbols meant. -That was the beginning, and before long they -had an old Egyptian grammar and dictionary. -That little stone proved to be the key that unlocked -the whole vast storehouse of Egyptian -history.”</p> - -<p>As they moved on the surroundings gradually -assumed a desert character. The cliffs<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">[124]</span> -grew lower and were in many places replaced -by sand dunes.</p> - -<p>Don’s attention was attracted by the countless -little heaps of stones they passed, each consisting -of a little upright slab of rock, held in -place by others on each side.</p> - -<p>“What are those, Uncle Amos?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Prayer stones,” answered the professor, -after a casual glance. “They are the prayers -of travelers to the gods of their city that they -might have a prosperous journey. Those fragments -of pottery indicate that a bowl, probably -containing water, was set beside each -pile.”</p> - -<p>“A prosperous journey,” mused Don, as he -thought of the object of his own search, and -though he did not erect a similar pile, there -was a prayer in his heart.</p> - -<p>On the night of the second day they made -their preparations to pitch camp. A tent was -soon erected, and while Abdul fed, watered and -tethered the camels, Ismillah prepared a meal -that fully justified his master’s opinion of him -as a cook.</p> - -<p>After supper, the travelers stretched themselves -out on the sands, enjoying the faint -breeze that had sprung up after sunset and -studying the splendor of the Egyptian sky, -studded with stars that glowed like so many -jewels. Above them spread the Milky Way, -like a spray of silver dust.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">[125]</span>“The Nile of the heavens,” murmured the -professor.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“The old Egyptians considered the Milky -Way the Nile of the future life,” was the answer. -“They used to fancy that the departed -ones were sailing up and down that, just as -they used to sail the Nile when they were -alive.”</p> - -<p>“Quite a poetical fancy,” remarked the captain.</p> - -<p>“How nice and homelike,” said the irreverent -Teddy. “You could just look up and say, -‘There goes Aunt Jemima.’”</p> - -<p>The professor looked rather shocked, but the -captain laughed.</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid you’re a hopeless case, Teddy,” -he said. “But now I guess we’d better turn -in. We want to get an early start to-morrow -before the sun becomes too hot.”</p> - -<p>His suggestion was followed and all except -Don were soon sound asleep.</p> - -<p>But the boy tossed about restlessly on his -blanket. It was not the heat that prevented him -from sleeping, for he had become inured to -that in the Sahara.</p> - -<p>It was the tormenting uncertainty as to his -father’s fate. He had felt hopeful of finding -him in the Valley of the Kings. With each -new gang of workmen discovered, his heart had -thrilled with the thought that perhaps these<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">[126]</span> -were the ones his father had employed, and -every time his hopes had been dashed to the -ground. Would he ever find him?</p> - -<p>A sound came to him from without. He -propped himself up on his elbow and listened. -Again he heard it, faint but unmistakable. It -seemed to come from the direction of the -camels.</p> - -<p>Silently he crept out from the shelter of the -tent and looked toward the tethered camels.</p> - -<p>As his eyes accustomed themselves to the -darkness, he could make out the gaunt figures -of the beasts. Then gradually he saw something -else—the figure of a man moving about -stealthily.</p> - -<p>With a shout Don rushed toward him.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">[127]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XIII<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">A Deadly Menace</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> figure seemed to melt away on the further -side of the camels, which had been roused -by Don’s shout and stood upright swaying -their shaggy heads. They formed a screen that -served perfectly the purpose of the marauder, -and by the time Don had circled about the animals -the man was not to be seen.</p> - -<p>Don strained his eyes in every direction, but -could see nothing. The night had swallowed -up the man as though he had never been.</p> - -<p>The shout had roused the other members of -the party, and they came rushing out, the captain -in the van with his rifle in his hand.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” he asked, as they all crowded -around Don.</p> - -<p>“There was a man here busy among the -camels,” explained Don. “I rushed at him and -he disappeared.”</p> - -<p>The professor had his flashlight, and they -turned it upon the group of camels, which, they -were glad to see, were all there.</p> - -<p>An exclamation came from the captain.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">[128]</span>“Here’s what he was doing,” he cried, as -he pointed to one of the ropes that was almost -cut through.</p> - -<p>“A thief!” ejaculated the professor.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps,” said Phalos, with a worried look -on his face. “But then again, it may have been -more than a case of common theft.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” asked Don. “Do you -think,” he went on, as a thought struck him, -“that Tezra and Nepahak had a hand in this?”</p> - -<p>Phalos nodded assent.</p> - -<p>“That is what I fear; though of course I do -not know,” he said. “The design may have -been to cripple the expedition and make it -move more slowly by the theft of one or more -of the camels. That would make it easier for -them to keep us in sight.”</p> - -<p>“But if they keep us in sight, that will mean -that we will also have sight of them,” remarked -Don.</p> - -<p>“I do not mean literally ‘in sight,’” explained -Phalos. “But they can keep on our -trail while staying just beyond reach of our -vision. I have a presentiment that they are -following us. They are men who will stop at -nothing.”</p> - -<p>“We should have set a guard,” said the captain. -“We will after this. I’ll take my turn -to-night. And if any of those fellows try the -same trick again,” he added, as he handled his -rifle significantly, “it will go hard with them.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">[129]</span>He took his position at the door of his tent, -and the rest resumed their attempts at slumber, -although there was little sleep for the remainder -of the night.</p> - -<p>Nothing further developed, and they roused -at dawn, made a hasty breakfast and started -on.</p> - -<p>“I have been thinking,” said Phalos, “that -it would be well to use a little strategy to throw -possible pursuers off our track. They probably -think that we are going to the water -hole of El Ira, since we are headed in that direction. -But Abdul, I find, knows of another -water hole off to the right that will require -quite a wide circle to reach it. I would suggest -that we take that route, and after replenishing -our water supplies, strike out for -the place where I believe we will find the Tombs -of Gold. I think that plan may balk our -enemies.”</p> - -<p>This was decided on, and the party moved -ahead under Abdul’s direction, turning many a -look behind as they rode with a view to detecting -possible pursuers.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, the camel on which Don was riding -stopped with a jerk that nearly unseated the -boy. Teddy was riding beside him and his -mount stopped at the same moment with similar -suddenness.</p> - -<p>“What on earth’s the matter with him?” exclaimed -Don, as he urged the camel forward.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">[130]</span>But the beasts refused to move a step, and -now Don discovered that the animal was trembling.</p> - -<p>He looked about to see the reason. Suddenly, -he discovered in the sand a few feet -ahead a horrid swaying head with what seemed -to be horns and a pair of fierce, wicked eyes -that glowed like fire.</p> - -<p>At first he could see no body. The creature -seemed to be all head. But as Don looked more -closely, he could see a shape of light brownish -color with yellow spots, partly hidden in the -sand. The eyes were glowing like those of a -basilisk, and the body began to coil as though -for a spring.</p> - -<p>Quick as thought, Don reached for his rifle, -took swift aim and fired. The bullet smashed -the head of the creature, and the sand went -up in clouds, as the body thrashed about furiously.</p> - -<p>“Good shooting!” cried Teddy admiringly, -as they dismounted to examine the reptile.</p> - -<p>“What’s the shooting about?” asked the -captain, as he came riding up with the rest of -the party.</p> - -<p>“This,” answered Don, as he prodded the -snake with the muzzle of his rifle.</p> - -<p>“A cerastes!” exclaimed the captain, who -recognized it at once. “It’s one of the deadliest -snakes in the world. If you were bitten -by that, you’d be dead in half an hour.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">[131]</span>“Cleopatra’s asp,” pronounced the professor. -“It was one of those with which the -Egyptian Queen committed suicide.”</p> - -<p>“Ugh!” exclaimed Teddy. “It isn’t the -thing I’d choose for a bosom friend. I’m more -particular about my company.”</p> - -<p>“It’s lucky your camel saw it when he did,” -remarked the professor. “The snake would -surely have bitten him as he passed. They’re -the more dangerous because they can scarcely -be detected in the sand. A great many horses -and camels are killed by them in Egypt every -year.”</p> - -<p>The suggestion by Abdul that the snakes -usually traveled in pairs was sufficient to make -the travelers mount in a hurry. But the mate -of the dead snake, if it were in the vicinity, -failed to make itself seen or felt, and they went -on unmolested, though keeping a sharp lookout -on the sands ahead.</p> - -<p>“I suppose, Don, a snake more or less is -nothing in your young life, after all you killed -or captured in Brazil,” remarked Teddy, with -a laugh.</p> - -<p>“That’s one case where familiarity hasn’t -bred contempt,” answered Don. “It was in -Brazil that I learned to respect them, sometimes -to run from them, as in the case of the -cooanaradi.”</p> - -<p>“Call it coon and let it go at that,” laughed -Teddy. “Why did it chase you?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">[132]</span>“Because it loved me and couldn’t bear to -part with me,” answered Don dryly. “It was a -big twelve-footer and fairly soaking with -poison. The only thing I had with me was a -machete. I swung just as it overtook and -sprang for me, and by good luck sliced its head -from its body. More than once since then I’ve -dreamed that it was chasing me.”</p> - -<p>They were preparing to pitch their tents for -the midday rest when a cloud of dust appeared -on the horizon ahead of them.</p> - -<p>In the desert every man is an enemy until -he is found to be a friend, and the camping was -deferred, the party remaining on their camels -while they awaited the figures that soon detached -themselves from the dust and rapidly -became larger.</p> - -<p>“Get your rifles ready,” commanded the -captain. “We’ll have to see who these fellows -are. They may be Bedouins out on a raid, -or they may be peaceful traders. We’ll soon -know.”</p> - -<p>As the approaching party came more distinctly -into view, apprehension vanished, for -the laden camels showed that it was an ordinary -trading caravan of small size.</p> - -<p>The caravan halted and all looked curiously -at the captain’s party. Phalos and the captain -rode toward them with shouted salutations -and signs of friendliness, which were returned -in the same spirit.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">[133]</span>Phalos interrogated the leader as to whether -he had seen any man who resembled Mr. -Sturdy, describing him as a tall man with black -hair.</p> - -<p>No, the leader had seen no such man. He -had, however, seen a tall man with white hair -or nearly white. He had seen him with a party -digging near a mound, some thirty miles further -on.</p> - -<p>Had he talked with him?</p> - -<p>No, there was something about the man’s -eyes that had made him feel queer. But he had -talked with some of the workmen. They had -told him that they were going to quit, that their -employer had told them he would soon have no -more money to pay them. Besides, they -thought that the man had been marked by -Allah. They had grown afraid. So they were -going away.</p> - -<p>This was the sum of the information they got -from the leader of the caravan, and they returned -and reported to the rest of the party, -while the traders moved on.</p> - -<p>It was not very definite, certainly not conclusive, -but it brought to all of them an immense -accession of hope. Don was elated beyond -measure.</p> - -<p>“Of course, father’s hair was black when I -saw him last!” he exclaimed. “But what he -has been through may have changed it.”</p> - -<p>“The news is certainly encouraging,” said<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">[134]</span> -the captain. “Though don’t build too much -upon it, Don.”</p> - -<p>“It is significant to me,” remarked Phalos, -“that the locality the man indicated is very -close to that where I believe the Tombs of Gold -to be situated.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you think the time has come to take -us fully into your secret?” asked the captain. -“Suppose anything happened to you! You -might be sunstruck, become disabled in some -way. In that case, our expedition will have -come to nothing.”</p> - -<p>“You are right,” agreed Zeta Phalos. “You -shall know now all that I know myself,” and -during the midday rest period he went into a -careful calculation of facts and figures with the -captain and the professor, while Don and -Teddy listened with the greatest interest and -attention.</p> - -<p>The boys did not grasp all the calculation, -but one outstanding thing that impressed them -was that the place would be indicated by a rock -shaped something like a pyramid, balanced -upon another rock, flat in shape but larger than -the first.</p> - -<p>They journeyed hard and fast that afternoon -and till well into the evening in the direction -indicated by the leader of the caravan. And -when they camped for the night, they were -confident that, barring accidents, they would be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">[135]</span> -within striking distance of their goal before -the following night closed in on them.</p> - -<p>The next day was the hottest that they had -yet encountered. The sun beat down on them -with terrific fury. They were tortured with -sunburn and by innumerable swarms of sand-flies, -the plague of Egypt.</p> - -<p>They allowed themselves only a short rest -period and pushed on.</p> - -<p>Before long they came to a place where a -rocky wilderness stretched away to the right -of the road they were traversing. Here, after -a consultation of his map and a discussion with -Don’s uncles, Zeta Phalos determined to leave -the camels in the care of Ismillah and Abdul -and push into the wilderness on foot. The -camels would have been of little use to them on -those rocky slopes, and in addition Phalos was -quite as well satisfied to dispense with the servants -for the last stage of the trip. He believed -them trustworthy, but preferred to have only -the Americans with him if his goal were actually -discovered.</p> - -<p>A cave that offered a secure hiding place for -the servants and the camels was found, and it -was not long before the searchers had occasion -to be thankful that they had taken the precaution.</p> - -<p>As they clambered up the slope, amid the -huge rocks with which it was strewn, Don’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">[136]</span> -keen eyes detected a body of riders in the distance -coming fast toward them.</p> - -<p>Instantly he communicated his discovery to -the others and they sank down behind the rocks -that shielded them from view.</p> - -<p>“They’re coming fast,” muttered the captain, -“and they are coming in the direction we -came. If it’s that Tezra bunch, they’re tired -of pussyfooting.”</p> - -<p>“They may think that the time has come to -attempt to capture us and make us lead them -to the place we’re seeking,” murmured Phalos.</p> - -<p>As the cavalcade drew nearer it could be -seen that it comprised more than a dozen -heavily-armed riders of fierce appearance.</p> - -<p>“Bedouins whom Tezra has enlisted by -promise of loot,” conjectured Phalos.</p> - -<p>The captain slipped his glasses to Don, who -was lying close beside him.</p> - -<p>“You know the rascals better than I do,” he -said. “See if you can recognize them.”</p> - -<p>Don focused the glasses on the leaders.</p> - -<p>“There they are!” he whispered excitedly. -“Tezra and Nepahak! Those two in front.”</p> - -<p>“As I suspected,” muttered the captain.</p> - -<p>The party swept on and was soon lost to -view.</p> - -<p>“Fooled for the time being, anyway,” said -Captain Sturdy, as he rose. “Now it’s up to -us to act quickly.”</p> - -<p>The Americans and Phalos worked their way<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">[137]</span> -along among the boulders, gazing eagerly in all -directions for their landmark.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Don gave a shout.</p> - -<p>“There it is,” he cried, pointing straight -ahead of him. “I see it. The rock!”</p> - -<p>The other members of the party looked in -the direction of Don’s pointing finger.</p> - -<p>There, sure enough, loomed up a curious -combination of two rocks, both of large size, -the upper one shaped something like a pyramid, -and the lower one, on which it rested, flat -and a rough square in shape.</p> - -<p>Don had been in the rear of the party with -Teddy, but it was his sharp sight that marked -the goal.</p> - -<p>There was a shout of jubilation from all the -members of the group, and they hastened as -fast as the difficult ground would let them in -the direction of the rock.</p> - -<p>Don was behind, but was hurrying after the -others and rapidly overtaking them when suddenly -the ground seemed to give way beneath -him. He had a sensation of falling—down—down.</p> - -<p>Then came a sharp shock and he knew no -more.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">[138]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XIV<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">In Utter Darkness</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">How</span> long it was before he returned to consciousness, -Don could not tell. It might have -been minutes or it might have been hours.</p> - -<p>Slowly, very slowly, he was able to recall -what had happened to him. He had seen the -cavalcade riding past. Then he had been clambering -among the rocks. It had been a long -climb, he remembered. There were many of -the rocks and the slope had been steep. He -must have barked his shins against some of -them. They were very sore. Yes, he must -have barked his shins. Careless of him, to be -sure, but a little arnica would fix them up all -right.</p> - -<p>Was there anything else? He tried to think. -Oh, yes, he had called out something. What -was it he had been shouting about? Oh, it -was the rock! Of course, it was the rock. Why -had he not thought of that before? Well, -he had thought of it now. That was something. -He felt rather proud about that rock. -He had been the first to see it. Good boy, Don. -You are not so bad!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">[139]</span>He lay for a moment, pleased with the recollection.</p> - -<p>What else was there? He and Teddy had -started running for it. Good old Brick! They -had been running pretty fast. Why had they -not got to it then? Where was the rock? Where -was he?</p> - -<p>Then suddenly the truth burst on him, and -he sat up with a start, a cold perspiration -breaking out all over his body.</p> - -<p>He remembered the ground seemingly melting -under his feet, the sickening descent, the -crash.</p> - -<p>He looked wildly about him, but he might as -well have been blind for all that he could see. -Even his hand was not visible, as he held it -up before his face.</p> - -<p>He felt of his arms and his legs, with an -awful fear that one or more of them might -have been broken. But they were whole, as -far as he could tell, and when he tried to move -them they responded.</p> - -<p>But he was torn and scratched in innumerable -places and blood was trickling from his -wounds.</p> - -<p>He dragged himself up to a standing position -and propped himself against an earth wall -that he could feel but not see. But his head -swam so that he had to sit down again, for fear -he should fall.</p> - -<p>It was strange, he thought, that there was no<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">[140]</span> -light in the place. If there had been a hole for -him to fall through, there should be a hole for -light to come through. But absolute blackness -met him as he turned his eyes upward.</p> - -<p>He steadied himself and tried to think. -What should he do? How could his uncles find -him? What would Brick—</p> - -<p>Brick! He had been right beside him. Had -he also—Could he—</p> - -<p>“Brick!” he called.</p> - -<p>There was no answer.</p> - -<p>“Brick!” he repeated.</p> - -<p>There was a faint rustling, and a weak voice -answered:</p> - -<p>“That you, Don?”</p> - -<p>The next instant Don was making his way in -the direction of the voice. He caught an outstretched -groping hand and his own tightened -convulsively over it.</p> - -<p>For a moment both were too deeply moved -to speak. Don was the first to break the silence.</p> - -<p>“Are you hurt, old boy?” he asked anxiously.</p> - -<p>“Somewhat disfigured, but still in the ring,” -answered Teddy, with a touch of his old levity, -though his voice was far from steady. “You -see you can’t shake me. I came along with -you. I’m sore as a boil, but no bones broken, -as far as I know. How in the mischief did we -get down here?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">[141]</span>“How in the mischief are we going to get -out?” responded Don.</p> - -<p>“I’d give a good deal to know,” complained -Teddy.</p> - -<p>“Let’s feel our way around these walls and -see if they suggest anything,” said Don.</p> - -<p>Still badly shaken, but with their strength -coming back and their heads momentarily -growing clearer, the two boys groped about the -walls of their prison. They discovered an almost -cylindrical passage extending upward -that seemed to be the one through which they -had made their unexpected descent.</p> - -<p>“Give me a back, Brick.”</p> - -<p>Teddy bent over, and Don mounted on his -back. But with hands extended to the uttermost -he could touch nothing above.</p> - -<p>Climbing was out of the question, for the -walls, though of earth, were as hard and -smooth as though they had been shaped by -machinery and offered no crevices to which -hands or feet could cling.</p> - -<p>“Do you know, Brick, I don’t believe we -fell through any natural opening. If we had, -there’d be some light coming from up there. -The hole wouldn’t have closed up so suddenly.”</p> - -<p>“What’s your idea then?” asked Teddy -wonderingly.</p> - -<p>“I think there was a hinged door there, concealed -by earth, that sprang back again when<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">[142]</span> -it dumped us here. A trap laid, perhaps, by -the old Pharaoh to catch anybody who should -come prying about his tomb.”</p> - -<p>“The old gink!” exclaimed Teddy. “Who’d -ever thought he had such a sour disposition?”</p> - -<p>“That would explain why the walls are so -smooth,” continued Don. “If any one wasn’t -killed by the fall he couldn’t climb up again. -Well, we’re in for it now, and we’re up against -it for fair.”</p> - -<p>“They must be looking for us outside,” said -Teddy, sobered by their plight. “Suppose we -shout to them. They may hear us.”</p> - -<p>It was a good suggestion, and they shouted -till their throats were so hoarse they could do -little else but whisper.</p> - -<p>But there were no answers except the echoes.</p> - -<p>For some time after the boys had realized -that their efforts were fruitless, they remained -without speaking. Each was busy with his own -thoughts. And they were not pleasant ones. -Their situation dawned on them in all its horrors.</p> - -<p>They were trapped, shut out, perhaps forever, -from the sight of men, doomed possibly -to die amid the lingering agonies of hunger -and thirst in this subterranean enclosure, to -which greater terrors were added by the darkness.</p> - -<p>Life was sweet to them. They had barely -tasted its delights, were merely standing on its<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">[143]</span> -threshold. The blood ran strongly through -their veins. Were they to be cheated of their -birthright?</p> - -<p>From these gloomy meditations, Don roused -himself with a determined shake of his shoulders.</p> - -<p>“Brace up, Brick,” he counseled. “We’re -worth a dozen dead men yet. Let’s see if we -can’t find some way out of this hole.”</p> - -<p>They felt around the walls until they found -a passage, so narrow that it permitted them to -walk abreast only by crowding against each -other.</p> - -<p>“Let’s go,” said Don. “Whatever it leads -to can’t be any worse than this.”</p> - -<p>They had gone along for perhaps a hundred -feet when suddenly their feet slipped out from -under them and they sat down with a thud on a -pavement as smooth as glass and shot down -a steep slope as swiftly as though they were on -a toboggan!</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">[144]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XV<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">A Frightful Apparition</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Startled</span>, confused, bewildered beyond -measure, Don and Teddy were whirled down -the steep incline at a dizzy speed, until at last -they were thrown out on the stone floor at its -foot in a medley of tossing arms and legs.</p> - -<p>But the one predominant feeling in their -minds as they scrambled to their feet and -looked at each other, in a consternation that -would have been ludicrous under any other circumstances, -was that now they could really see -each other!</p> - -<p>They were in the light, the blessed light; -not brilliant, but mellowed and full of shadows. -There was no visible source to which it could -be traced, but it was light, and as they looked -into each other’s eyes half the horror of their -situation seemed to have vanished. It brought -to each a reinforcement of hope and courage.</p> - -<p>“Gee!” exclaimed Teddy, as he shook himself. -“Talk about shooting the chutes! That -has the big one at Coney Island beaten to a -frazzle.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">[145]</span>“It sure does,” agreed Don, as he looked at -the slope down which they had sped and marveled -at its mirrorlike smoothness.</p> - -<p>The boys looked about them to see what kind -of a place it was into which they had been so -abruptly ushered. They found themselves in -a great spacious room, from which a series of -doorways at intervals led into smaller ones. -The roof was high and slightly arched. On the -walls was an almost endless series of paintings -that represented almost every possible scene -and custom of ancient Egyptian life.</p> - -<p>They recognized at once the similarity to the -paintings they had seen on their first memorable -visit to the tombs of Tut-ankh-Amen -and the other monarchs in the Valley of the -Kings.</p> - -<p>“This must be a tomb,” said Don. “Or perhaps -one of the antechambers to a tomb. But -it’s on a vastly bigger scale than anything -we’ve ever seen before.”</p> - -<p>“I should say it was!” agreed Teddy, as his -eyes took in its proportions. “The others are -only also-rans as compared with this. The fellow -this was built for must have been some big -bug in his day.”</p> - -<p>The lads wandered about the room, studying -with interest the scenes depicted on the walls. -They had all the stiffness that marks the work -of the Egyptian artists, but apart from that, -were surprisingly good and accurate.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">[146]</span>“I’ve always thought the Egyptians were -sad fellows,” remarked Teddy. “But if these -paintings tell the truth, they were pretty gay -old boys if you ask me.”</p> - -<p>There were pictures of royal banquets with -wine and flowers in profusion, minstrels playing, -men and women dancing, and buffoons and -clowns adding their part to the merriment. -One dancer was bearing the body of another -on his head as he whirled about. Everything -in these pictures indicated abandonment to the -material pleasures of life.</p> - -<p>But there were more stately scenes, troops -of soldiers marching through the streets -crowded with spectators on both sides, solemn -religious ceremonies in the temples with the -priests in full regalia. Other pictures represented -hunting scenes, fights with lions, chariot -races, wrestling, and various athletic sports.</p> - -<p>Still others, more in keeping with a mortuary -chamber, showed the progress of the soul after -it had left the body and embarked on its stormy -voyage amid the perils of the underworld and -beset by demons that sought to check its progress -before it could reach the presence of -Osiris and the realms of bliss.</p> - -<p>“Look at these cartoons!” exclaimed Teddy, -as he came to lighter specimens of the painter’s -art. “I’ve seen worse in some of the evening -papers.”</p> - -<p>He pointed to a hippopotamus seated among<span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">[147]</span> -the leaves of a tree at a table while a crow was -climbing a ladder to wait on him. A cat, walking -on its hind legs, drove a flock of geese, -while a wolf, carrying a staff and knapsack, -led a herd of goats. A battle between mice and -cats was shown, with the king of the mice, in -a chariot drawn by two dogs, attacking the -fortress of the cats.</p> - -<p>“The fellow that drew those was throwing -himself away,” declared Teddy. “He could -have got a good salary in New York.”</p> - -<p>But while these novel things served a good -purpose for a time in diverting the boys’ minds -from their troubles, the latter soon returned -with redoubled force, especially when the lads -saw that the light was waning. They dreaded -the coming of the dark in those surroundings.</p> - -<p>“It’s a good thing in one way, though,” said -Don, in answer to Teddy’s comment on the -growing shadows. “It shows that it’s natural -light. It must come in from somewhere; and -that somewhere must lead to the outside world. -We’ll see if we can’t find out where that is -when morning comes.”</p> - -<p>They sat down touching each other, for the -comfort of companionship, and took stock of -their store of provisions. The result was anything -but satisfactory.</p> - -<p>Don had a few crackers in his pocket and a -couple of cakes of chocolate. Besides these, -his canteen was two-thirds full of water. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">[148]</span> -sum total of Teddy’s possessions was comprised -in a sandwich and a couple of seed cakes -that Ismillah had given him. And his canteen -was less than half full.</p> - -<p>“Gee!” groaned Teddy, “if we only had -some of those ducks and haunches of venison -that Tut-ankh-Amen never touched! I -wouldn’t do a thing to them!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t suppose they’d be much good after -three thousand years,” remarked Don, with a -lugubrious smile. “Still, if there were any -here and I were starving, I’d take a hack at -them. We’ll look around to-morrow morning -and see if we can find any.”</p> - -<p>The shadows gradually deepened until they -were in blackness so deep it could be felt. In -those sepulchral surroundings, the situation -was enough to daunt the stoutest heart.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a blood-curdling shriek rang -through the vaulted chamber.</p> - -<p>The boys sprang to their feet in horror.</p> - -<p>Again the shriek rang out, dying away in -groans and moanings. Then their eyes almost -burst from their head as they saw a great -white-sheeted figure, revealed in an unearthly -light. It seemed to advance upon them, waving -its arms menacingly!</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">[149]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XVI<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">In the Grip of Doom</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> first impulse of the boys was to flee. -But their limbs refused to obey them. They -were as though paralyzed, rooted to the spot. -Their hearts seemed to stop beating and their -blood turn to ice.</p> - -<p>Then, when it seemed to be almost upon -them, the dreadful figure faded away as suddenly -as it had appeared and they were again -shrouded in darkness.</p> - -<p>They were shaking as if with an ague, and -neither felt ashamed of it. Coming on top of -what they had already endured that day, the -shock was almost beyond bearing.</p> - -<p>They fell rather than sat down on the stone -floor, their hands closely interlocked.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Don, what was it?” quavered Teddy. -“A ghost?”</p> - -<p>“Ghost, nothing!” declared Don, trying to -infuse stoutness into his denial. “You know -as well as I do that there’s no such thing as a -ghost.”</p> - -<p>“I never did believe it till now,” said Teddy.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">[150]</span> -“But what was that, if it wasn’t a ghost? Lots -of people believe in them. Perhaps it’s the old -king this tomb belongs to, and he’s come to -warn us against coming here.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense!” replied Don.</p> - -<p>“What was it then if it wasn’t a ghost?” -challenged Don’s companion.</p> - -<p>“How do I know?” countered Don, who by -this time was getting back some of his usual -self-possession. “It may have been some -crazy person. Heaven knows, it’s enough to -make any one crazy to be in here. It may have -been a trick of some kind. Perhaps this is a -robbers’ cave, and that’s a way they have to -scare out intruders. I don’t know what it was, -but I’m dead sure that it isn’t a ghost. And -you know it isn’t, either.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose it isn’t,” admitted Teddy, as -common sense once more took the helm. “But -it sure had me going for a minute.”</p> - -<p>“Me, too,” confessed Don. “I never had -such a scare thrown into me in my life.”</p> - -<p>“If only it doesn’t come back!” sighed -Teddy.</p> - -<p>“If I had my rifle with’ me, I’d put a bullet -in it,” declared Don, bitterly regretting the absence -of his weapon, which had flown from his -hand when he fell.</p> - -<p>“One thing is certain, that I won’t get a -wink of sleep to-night,” affirmed Teddy, staring<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">[151]</span> -fearfully through the dark in the direction -from which the ghostly visitor had come.</p> - -<p>“I guess I’m with you there,” replied Don.</p> - -<p>But nature was stronger than all their beliefs -and resolutions, and before long they -were sleeping the sleep of absolute exhaustion, -from which they did not wake until a pale suffusion -of light through the cavern told them it -was morning.</p> - -<p>The light, faint as it was, brought them new -courage. And if they ever needed courage, it -was then.</p> - -<p>They were ravenously hungry, but they took -only a nibble at their scanty store, far more -precious to them at the moment than its weight -in gold. They washed it down with a mere -swallow of water, and then set about discovering -a way of escape from what was now their -prison, but threatened to become their tomb.</p> - -<p>“Do you know, Brick,” said Don thoughtfully, -“I’ve changed my opinion about that -place we fell down? I don’t believe it was a -trap.”</p> - -<p>“What was it then?” asked Teddy.</p> - -<p>“I think it was an entrance for those who -were supposed to have a right to come here,” -replied Don. “In the first place, if they’d -wanted to kill intruders, they’d probably have -made a better job of it—put a few spikes at the -bottom for them to be caught on, or some playful -thing like that.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">[152]</span>“Don’t!” urged Brick, with a shudder.</p> - -<p>“You see it didn’t kill us,” pursued Don.</p> - -<p>“Born to be hung, perhaps,” conjectured -Teddy.</p> - -<p>“And then too they wouldn’t have left that -passage open to the tomb,” continued Don. -“They’d have walled that hole all the way -around. But they didn’t. They left it open -for their own purposes.”</p> - -<p>“Well, suppose they did, what does all this -lead to?”</p> - -<p>“Just this,” replied Don. “That those who -came in that way didn’t expect to go back that -way. No one could climb up that toboggan. -It’s too steep and it’s too slippery, and there’s -absolutely nothing to hold on to. You might -as well try to climb up a looking glass.</p> - -<p>“Now if they didn’t expect to go back that -way, they must have meant to get out some -other way. Get me?”</p> - -<p>“Oh!” exclaimed Teddy, as a light broke in -on him. “You mean there’s some other entrance -to this place?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Don. “Though in our case, -as it was in theirs, it will be an exit. There -must be some such place, and it’s up to us to -find it.”</p> - -<p>The boys drew new hope from the conclusion -and set out at once to look for their one -hope of safety. They tried to find the source -from which the light filtered in, thinking, naturally,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">[153]</span> -that this would be the key to the -enigma.</p> - -<p>But search as they would, the secret evaded -them. The marvelously cunning architects -and engineers of ancient times had done their -work well, if their intention was to confuse -and bewilder any unwarranted visitor.</p> - -<p>Another proof of ingenuity soon warned -them of the necessity of keeping together. -They found that the many rooms that surrounded -the central hall were arranged on the -principle of a maze or labyrinth, with so many -and such unexpected openings, one into the -other, that it was almost impossible to meet at -any agreed spot. And there were so many of -these rooms and passages that the vast underground -construction suggested the Catacombs -of Rome.</p> - -<p>In the middle of the day they took another -morsel of food and a swallow of water. Soon -even this would be denied them. Again they -set out on their desperate quest, tightening -their belts to still the gnawings of hunger. -Their tongues became swollen and their lips -cracked from the thirst that tortured them.</p> - -<p>The coming of the night found them again -at their rendezvous in the central hall, baffled -and defeated, no nearer the solution of their -terrible problem than when they had started -in the morning.</p> - -<p>A tiny morsel of food and a sip of water<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">[154]</span> -were all they dared allow themselves. Then, -haggard and hollow-eyed, they crouched as -near as they could get to each other and—waited.</p> - -<p>For what?</p> - -<p>The same unspoken thought was in the mind -of each.</p> - -<p>Would that terrible figure appear again?</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">[155]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XVII<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">Trapped</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Don had raised his shout of discovery -Captain Sturdy, Professor Bruce and Phalos -had rushed in the direction of the rock that -reared itself near the top of the rugged slope.</p> - -<p>At times it was obscured by other boulders, -and they had difficulty in getting their bearings, -but they kept steadily getting nearer, and -at last they stood before it.</p> - -<p>With a trembling hand Zeta Phalos drew -from his pocket the precious copy of the inscription. -He and the professor bent over it, -eagerly comparing point to point the indications -on it, while the captain waited impatiently.</p> - -<p>At last the two straightened up with delight -in their eyes.</p> - -<p>“No doubt about it!” exclaimed the professor. -“It answers every requirement. Now to -find a way in.”</p> - -<p>A feverish search was made, and finally a -crevice was discovered into which a man might -worm himself behind the towering rock.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">[156]</span>The captain turned about and shouted:</p> - -<p>“Come along, Don! Come along, Teddy!”</p> - -<p>He thought he heard them respond, although -it was only an echo. Then, dropping on hands -and knees, he worked his way through the -opening.</p> - -<p>The others, who were smaller and slenderer, -followed the captain’s example, and all three -were presently on the other side of the rock -and in a narrow passage.</p> - -<p>They straightened up and brushed off their -clothes, expecting every instant to see the boys -following them.</p> - -<p>But no other form darkened the opening, and -the captain grew impatient.</p> - -<p>“Hurry up, boys!” he shouted.</p> - -<p>The words had scarcely left his lips when -there was a tremendous crash, and the delicately -balanced upper rock came down, filling -the entire opening and leaving them in utter -darkness.</p> - -<p>The roar was deafening in that confined -space, and beat upon their eardrums until it -seemed as though they would burst. And a -cloud of dust arose that was suffocating.</p> - -<p>The captain, inured to dangers and to quick -thinking, was the first to realize what had happened.</p> - -<p>“Trapped!” he roared. “Trapped! Penned -in like so many rats!”</p> - -<p>He rushed against the heavy stone and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">[157]</span> -heaved against it with all the strength of his -powerful shoulders. But strain as he would, -he could not make it budge. And as he remembered -its giant size, he realized that it -must weigh scores of tons. He might as well -have tried to move a mountain.</p> - -<p>As this conviction came to him, he desisted -from his efforts and came slowly towards his -companions.</p> - -<p>“Lucky that the boys are not in here with -us,” he remarked, his habitual calmness returning -to him. “They, at least, have their -chance. It is singular, too,” he mused. “Don, -especially, is usually right up to the front at a -time like this. Didn’t you think they were following -us?”</p> - -<p>“I thought I heard them answer you when -you called to them,” replied the professor. -“But, after all, that may have been only the -echo of your voice.”</p> - -<p>“Possibly,” rejoined the captain. “But, at -any rate, they must be right outside now. We -must communicate with them and get them to -go to Ismillah and Abdul for help. With our -united efforts, we may be able to make an -exit.”</p> - -<p>He approached the rock, called out as loudly -as he could and hammered on the rock with the -butt of his rifle. But no response came, and, at -last, sorely puzzled, he abandoned the attempt.</p> - -<p>“Well,” Professor Bruce said grimly, “the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">[158]</span> -old Pharaoh has sprung the trap. His dead -hand has reached out through forty centuries -and tricked us.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” asked the captain.</p> - -<p>“What I say,” was the reply. “You don’t -suppose that it was mere accident that caused -that stone to fall just at this minute, do you?”</p> - -<p>“The long arm of coincidence—”</p> - -<p>“Nothing of the kind,” interrupted the professor. -“That rock was balanced so perfectly -that it would fall when a hidden spring was -pressed. And we pressed that spring when we -stepped on one of the blocks in this paved passage. -Those old fellows were marvels when it -came to bits of infernal ingenuity like that.”</p> - -<p>“It is probable,” observed Phalos.</p> - -<p>“The very fact that there was an opening -there should have warned us,” admitted the -captain. “Why should entrance have been so -easy? Simply to lure us in, so that we could -be punished for our presumption. ‘Will you -walk into my parlor, said the spider to the fly.’ -Well, we’ve walked in all right, and if the -spider knows anything where he is, I’ll bet he -is grinning at us this moment.”</p> - -<p>He communed with himself a moment in bitter -self-reproach, while Phalos and Professor -Bruce, both silently, tried to work out some -plan of procedure.</p> - -<p>“Well,” the captain resumed at last, with a -return of his old nonchalant manner, “there’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">[159]</span> -no use crying over spilt milk. We’re here, and -that’s all there is about it. We’re all grown -men, and we’re all of us able to face the truth. -I believe I’m betraying no confidence,” he -added with grim humor, “when I say that -we’re in a very serious situation. But we’ve -all been in others quite as serious and emerged -with a whole skin, and perhaps history will repeat -itself.”</p> - -<p>“I’m thankful, at least, that the boys are not -with us,” remarked the professor.</p> - -<p>“Amen to that,” said Phalos. “To a large -extent, we at least have lived our lives. They -have theirs before them.”</p> - -<p>“And there are other bits of silver linings to -our clouds,” resumed the captain. “In the -first place, we have pretty good proof that no -one else has preceded us. So if we find the -tomb at all, we’ll find it unrifled.</p> - -<p>“Then, again, I had the luck to shove our -bag of provisions through the hole before I -crawled in myself,” he continued. “There are -several extra canteens of water there too, besides -those we have strapped to us. So we have -enough with care to last us for a week or so, if -we have to stay here that long.”</p> - -<p>“That’s good,” observed the professor. -“And, as we can’t go back, we’d better go forward -at once.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, let’s be getting along,” the captain -said, picking up the bag of provisions and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">[160]</span> -slinging it over his shoulder, while in the other -hand he carried his rifle. “As Amos says, we -can’t go back, and so we’ll make a virtue of -necessity and go forward. That, after all, is -what we came for.”</p> - -<p>They went on carefully, picking their steps -along a paved passage, so narrow that they -had to go single file.</p> - -<p>The path sloped steadily downward, so that -they knew they were going into the bowels of -the earth. The air was heavy and dank, and -yet there was at times the faintest perceptible -stirring of the air that showed there must be -some communication with the outer world. The -reflection gave them new courage, and they -quickened their steps, the captain using his -flashlight as a guide.</p> - -<p>After they had gone perhaps a quarter of a -mile and were beginning to wonder whether -the passage was interminable, they suddenly -came into a large room walled in on all sides -with stone, on which were painted scenes of -Egyptian life.</p> - -<p>The captain flashed his light around the -room and a cry of consternation came from the -lips of all.</p> - -<p>The scene revealed was one of the wildest -confusion. Lids had been torn from coffins -and lay splintered upon the floor. Mummy -wrappings were tossed here and there, helter -skelter. On the floor over in one corner, lay<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">[161]</span> -a mummy, with the head torn from the shoulders -and lying several feet away from the -body.</p> - -<p>The old Egyptian threw up his hands.</p> - -<p>“Too late! Too late!” he moaned, and tore -his hair. “The tomb has been rifled!”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">[162]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XVIII<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">A Night of Horror</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Zeta Phalos’</span> companions fully shared his -feelings, though they repressed them more -than their emotional Oriental comrade.</p> - -<p>“All for nothing! All for nothing!” moaned -Phalos. “After all these years and all this -effort, to find the tomb of Ras-Ameses too -late!”</p> - -<p>A sense of futility and depression, too great -for words, gripped the hearts of all the men.</p> - -<p>But from this first despondency a thought -came to the professor that made him start up -with renewed animation.</p> - -<p>“Let me have that flashlight, will you, -Frank, for a minute?” he asked.</p> - -<p>The captain relinquished it, and the professor -picked up a piece of the broken coffin lid -and examined it with care. Then he gathered -up the other pieces and laid them together as -they had been originally.</p> - -<p>A moment of critical study and he straightened -up with a laugh. His companions looked -at him with amazement.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">[163]</span>“Glad you can see something to laugh -about,” said the captain grimly.</p> - -<p>“Why shouldn’t I laugh?” was the reply. -“Here we’ve had all our grief for nothing. -This isn’t the coffin and that isn’t the mummy -of Ras-Ameses.”</p> - -<p>“Are you sure?” asked the captain, while -Phalos ceased his moaning and hurried to his -side.</p> - -<p>“Certain!” was the reply. “Look at the -symbols on this cover. Do you see the vulture? -Do you see the sacred cobra? Do you see the -crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt? Of course -you don’t. None of them is there. Yet they -would be there if this were the coffin of the -royal Ras-Ameses. This is the coffin of one of -his relatives—see, here is his name, Horum-Aleb. -Perhaps a nephew or a son-in-law.”</p> - -<p>A cry of vast relief broke from the lips of -Phalos when he perceived that the professor -was right in his conclusions.</p> - -<p>“You are right,” he said. “I jumped too -soon at conclusions. I should have remembered -that large numbers of the royal family -were buried in close proximity to the Pharaoh -himself.”</p> - -<p>His relief, however, though great, was not -of long duration, and his brow clouded as another -thought occurred to him.</p> - -<p>“But if men have broken in here and despoiled -this tomb, is it likely that they would<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">[164]</span> -stop here?” he asked. “Would they not persist -until they found the vastly more valuable -one of the king himself?”</p> - -<p>“That, of course, is possible,” conceded the -professor. “But we’ll not assume that until -we know it. Besides, everything here shows -that they acted with the wildest haste. They -may have been alarmed and made off with their -booty without going any farther.”</p> - -<p>“There’s one other angle to this matter,” -put in the captain. “Whoever rifled this tomb -had some other way of getting into it and getting -out of it than by the way we came in. We -know that they didn’t use that, or the stone -would have been down when we got to it. And -if there is another entrance or exit, we have -our chance of finding it.”</p> - -<p>“Is there anything in the inscription bearing -on this tomb of Horum-Aleb?” asked the -professor.</p> - -<p>“Not by name,” replied Phalos. “I have -pored over the manuscript so often that I know -it by heart, and that name does not occur in it. -But the diagram that I have worked out from -the veiled descriptions of the whole group of -tombs gives an estimate of their length and -width that may be of help to us in this instance.”</p> - -<p>“Will you lend us your flashlight again, -Frank, while we look it up?” asked the professor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">[165]</span>Somewhat to his surprise, the captain hesitated.</p> - -<p>“We’ve got to be exceedingly careful of this -flashlight,” he observed. “I have only one -extra battery with me, and if we have to stay -here long our lives may depend upon our having -light enough to see our way about. But I -have plenty of matches, and we’ll use torches -and small fires as far as possible.”</p> - -<p>“You always think of everything, Frank,” -was the tribute the professor paid him. “Very -well, then, we’ll use one of these splintered -pieces of coffin lid as a torch.”</p> - -<p>He lighted one end of the resinous wood, -which burned with a bright though flickering -light.</p> - -<p>“While we’re looking this over, Frank,” the -professor suggested, “suppose you take the -measurements of this room with your tape.”</p> - -<p>The captain complied, and found that the -mortuary chamber was thirty-three feet long -by twenty-two wide.</p> - -<p>He announced the result, and an expression -of gratification came from the lips of the -savants.</p> - -<p>“Those figures apply to a tomb only the -third removed from that of Ras-Ameses, as -far as we can make out,” said Phalos. “We -can’t be very far from the royal tomb itself.”</p> - -<p>“Do you remember, Frank,” asked the professor, -“how many such measurements were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">[166]</span> -found in the memoranda of Richard’s that we -examined at Hillville? That shows that he -wasn’t following a blind trail, but had something -definite to go upon. It’s another proof -that it was he who secured the other copy of -the inscription.”</p> - -<p>“I guess you’re right,” agreed the captain.</p> - -<p>They went forward, and found themselves -before long in a bewildering maze of passages -that branched off from one another in all directions. -Some led up to walls that might or -might not have rooms on the other side. Others -terminated in what were veritable points, and -had evidently been designed to mislead and -weary any intruder into the tombs.</p> - -<p>“You have to hand it to those old engineers -and architects,” grumbled the captain, in unwilling -admiration. “In cunning and foxiness -they’d make some of our modern ones look like -thirty cents.”</p> - -<p>The demands of hunger now began to make -themselves felt, and the professor suggested -that they snatch a hasty meal. The others -willingly acquiesced.</p> - -<p>“Napoleon used to say that an army, like a -snake, traveled on its stomach,” remarked the -professor. “Which is one way of saying that -a hungry man is no good for fighting. And we -have a fight on our hands, if any one ever -had.”</p> - -<p>They made their way back to the mortuary<span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">[167]</span> -chamber of Horum-Aleb. Once there, they -took from the bag of provisions a limited -amount of their precious stores. They ate -sparingly, but the meal was made more palatable -by coffee that Ismillah had brewed that -morning and placed in a thermos bottle.</p> - -<p>Never before had any of them partaken of a -meal in such weird and uncanny surroundings. -To save the light, they sat in utter darkness. -This had the additional advantage of hiding -from them the funereal trappings and the -dried-up figure of the headless mummy lying -over in the corner.</p> - -<p>But they knew it was there. That thing that -had once been a man like themselves was there. -They could visualize him in the darkness. He -was a guest at their meal—a very quiet guest -to be sure—but he was there.</p> - -<p>Suddenly there rose a wail as of a soul in -torment, a dreadful hideous shriek that filled -them with horror.</p> - -<p>The old Egyptian fell over on his face and -groveled on the floor.</p> - -<p>“The vengeance of the ancient gods,” he -cried wildly, “for daring to search for the -Tombs of Gold!”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">[168]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XIX<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">The Man by the Stream</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Crouching</span> down in the central hall, baffled -and defeated in their efforts to find a way out -into the world beyond the great cave, Don and -Teddy sat for a long time in an attitude of -strained expectation. No word was spoken, but -each knew what the other was waiting for. -They were hungry and thirsty, but if that had -been all they would have resigned themselves -and tried to forget their misery in sleep.</p> - -<p>But there was more than that—the dread of -the supernatural!</p> - -<p>Very frequently the bravest of men does not -care to go through a cemetery at night. He -may laugh and make light of his fears. He may -summon his common sense to his aid. He -may tell himself that only fools fear the dead. -Yet, however he may fortify himself, some obscure -survival of the fear inherited from generations -of superstitious ancestors makes him -heartily glad when he leaves the dead behind -and finds himself once more in the haunts of -the living.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">[169]</span>Teddy at last broke the silence.</p> - -<p>“Do you think it will come to-night?” he -asked, looking around him fearfully, as though -his eyes could pierce the darkness.</p> - -<p>“I guess not, Brick,” answered Don encouragingly. -“I don’t think—”</p> - -<p>Just then it came!</p> - -<p>Again a weird, blood-chilling shriek rang -down the passage, repeating itself in a thousand -echoes, and again before the terrified gaze -of the boys that frightful figure upreared itself -and seemed to advance toward them with -waving arms and threatening gestures.</p> - -<p>Another long-drawn shriek and the apparition -disappeared, seeming to melt at once into -nothingness.</p> - -<p>The boys clung close together, their hearts -beating like triphammers, their minds dazed. -Only gradually did they relax, and for a long -time they trembled like leaves.</p> - -<p>“I—I tell you it <i>is</i> a ghost,” said Teddy, at -last, tried beyond endurance.</p> - -<p>“And I tell you it isn’t,” retorted Don, who, -however, was shaken almost as much as his -comrade.</p> - -<p>“It is, it is!” reiterated Teddy, covering his -face with his hands, as though thus he could -shut out the memory of the hideous apparition.</p> - -<p>“Oh, if I only had my rifle,” groaned Don, to -whom the mere feel of that trusty weapon -would have brought strength and comfort.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">[170]</span>“It wouldn’t have done you any good if you -had had it,” replied Teddy. “You’d have to -have a silver bullet in it to kill a ghost.”</p> - -<p>Don could not help laughing, and it was -amazing how that laugh helped to break the -tension.</p> - -<p>“Well, you do,” repeated Teddy defensively. -“And it has to be blessed by a bishop, too.”</p> - -<p>“There isn’t any silver bullet handy or a -bishop either,” said Don. “Anyway, lead and -steel are good enough for me.</p> - -<p>“Now look here, Brick,” he went on. -“We’ve got to pull ourselves together and put -all that nonsense about ghosts out of mind. We -know when we think it over that there isn’t any -such thing.”</p> - -<p>“But we’ve got to believe our eyes,” insisted -Teddy. “We saw it, didn’t we?”</p> - -<p>“We saw something. But what it was, we -don’t know. But I’m going to try to find out,” -and Don rose to his feet with an air of decision.</p> - -<p>“Where are you going?” asked Teddy.</p> - -<p>“Down that passage,” answered Don, pointing -in the direction of the apparition.</p> - -<p>“Oh, don’t!” urged Teddy, laying his hand -on his arm.</p> - -<p>“I’m going,” reiterated Don. “Come -along.”</p> - -<p>Teddy had the alternative of accompanying -his comrade or staying behind, and he chose -the former. He had never yet deserted Don<span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">[171]</span> -in a crisis, and he was not going to do it now.</p> - -<p>The boys advanced slowly in the pitch darkness, -feeling their way inch by inch. And that -caution was justified when Don, putting out his -foot tentatively, felt nothing beneath it and -hurriedly drew back.</p> - -<p>“Back, Teddy!” he warned. “There’s a -break here.”</p> - -<p>He knelt down and reached his hand over -into the opening as far down as he could, without -coming in contact with anything.</p> - -<p>“I wonder how deep it is,” he pondered. -“Oh, if we only had a light of some kind.”</p> - -<p>He took a bunch of keys from his pocket and -found an old one belonging to the house at Hillville -which he could dispense with.</p> - -<p>“I’ll throw this in,” he said, “and we can -tell from the sound when it strikes how deep -the hole is.”</p> - -<p>He dropped the key and they listened. The -seconds passed. Then far, far down, they -heard a faint tinkling, as the key struck a rock.</p> - -<p>They recoiled from the brink in consternation.</p> - -<p>“Why, it’s almost bottomless!” exclaimed -Teddy. “It must be hundreds and hundreds of -feet deep!”</p> - -<p>“Right you are, Brick,” agreed Don soberly. -“If we’d fallen in there, there wouldn’t have -been anything left but a grease spot. We can’t -go any further, and we might as well go back.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">[172]</span>“That must be where the g—the creature -lives,” observed Teddy, as they again reached -the large room.</p> - -<p>“I’m glad you didn’t say ‘ghost’ that time,” -laughed Don. “Yes, that’s the spot it seemed -to come from.”</p> - -<p>The mere fact that they had tried to “take -the bull by the horns,” as Teddy put it, was in -itself a bracing element, and they had less -trouble in getting to sleep than they had had -the night before.</p> - -<p>But the morning brought with it the grim -fact that they were face to face with actual -starvation. Their last morsel of food and last -drop of water, miserably insufficient as they -were, disappeared. They were suffering intensely, -and each was shocked as he looked at -the sunken cheeks and hollow eyes of the other.</p> - -<p>Their thirst, especially, was overpowering. -The tightening of their belts helped in some -degree to make them forget their hunger, but -no such resource could abate their thirst.</p> - -<p>They were tormented with visions of sparkling -springs and flowing rivers. Their thoughts -went back to that night on the balcony of -Phalos’s villa when they heard the tinkling of -the fountains in the courtyard and watched the -ripples on the surface of the Nile. There, was -water in plenty. What would they not have -given now for a single drop to moisten their -cracked lips and swollen tongues!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">[173]</span>“We’ve just got to find our way out to-day, -old boy,” said Don in desperation. “Another -day or two and we’ll be too weak to do anything -but lie here and die.”</p> - -<p>They started out, summoning all their energy -and examining every room and every passage -that seemed to offer the slightest chance of an -exit. But the morning dragged away without -result, and with every hour they grew more -feverish and weak.</p> - -<p>About noon, as nearly as they could guess -from the light, Don’s eyes lighted on a stone -that seemed to have fallen slightly away from -its fellows in the corner of a passage. He -grasped it, and it gave slightly under his hand.</p> - -<p>He shouted to Teddy, and together they -pulled and hauled sufficiently to make an opening -through which they could pull themselves. -They were panting and exhausted when they -drew themselves up and looked about them.</p> - -<p>They found themselves in what seemed to -have been a receiving vault of the long ago. -There were three broad shelves, on which were -resting sarcophagi that seemed to have been -placed there temporarily, awaiting perhaps a -more ceremonious burial later.</p> - -<p>Don gave a shout, as his eyes rested on them.</p> - -<p>“Gold!” he exclaimed, looking from the lids -of the coffins to the slender pillars that adorned -the structure. “Gold! Look at them, Brick! -As bright and untarnished as the day they were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">[174]</span> -placed here. Brick, old boy, we’ve come across -a treasure!”</p> - -<p>For a time the lads were filled with a wild -elation, and they moved rapidly from one object -to another, handling, examining, tracing -the curious inscriptions.</p> - -<p>Then the stark reality of their situation came -back to them. What good was their wonderful -discovery, after all? What could it do for -them?</p> - -<p>Here they had happened on wealth that -would buy them the most sumptuous banquets -that the world could provide. It gave them -everything—and nothing.</p> - -<p>“Starving to death with all this gold about -us!” muttered Teddy bitterly. “I’d give it all -for a cup of water.”</p> - -<p>“The poorest beggar with his crust on the -steps of a mosque is better off than we are,” -agreed Don moodily.</p> - -<p>He bowed his head in his hands. Then suddenly -he raised it again. What was that he -heard?</p> - -<p>He listened intently, and hope shot into his -eyes. But he had heard of the fancies of the -victims of thirst and he was afraid. Was he -growing delirious?</p> - -<p>“Brick,” he said huskily to his friend, who -sat hunched up in a corner. “Listen, and tell -me if you hear anything.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">[175]</span>Inspired by the new tone in Don’s voice, -Brick sat up.</p> - -<p>“It—it sounds like falling water!” he exclaimed, -in an awed voice. “Oh, Don, are we -going crazy?”</p> - -<p>“Come,” cried Don, staggering with weakness, -but hurrying as fast as he could in the -direction of the sound.</p> - -<p>At a sudden turn in a passage the sound -grew louder, and an instant later their eyes -fell on a small stream of water, dashing over -a rocky bed.</p> - -<p>With a wild cry of delight, the boys threw -themselves on the brink of the stream and -plunged their heads into the cooling water. -Then they drank avidly until Don, remembering -caution, pulled Teddy back with main -force.</p> - -<p>“Easy, old boy,” he laughed happily. “Take -your time. You’ll get into trouble if you -drink too much after being without it so long. -The stream isn’t going to run away.”</p> - -<p>The soundness of this appealed to Teddy, -and he refrained for a time. But again and -again they plunged their heads into the water, -each time feeling new life thrill through every -vein.</p> - -<p>At last Don sprang up and threw off his -coat.</p> - -<p>“I’m going in all over,” he cried. “And,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">[176]</span> -oh, what a bath this is going to be! Come -along, Brick, and see who’ll be in—”</p> - -<p>He stopped as though transfixed.</p> - -<p>On the other side of the stream sat a man, -looking at him curiously.</p> - -<p>A wild cry burst from Don’s lips.</p> - -<p>“Father!” he cried. “Father!”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">[177]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XX<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">A Joyful Reunion</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Don</span> plunged into the stream, which was only -a couple of feet deep, and waded over to the -other side, uttering incoherent exclamations of -wonder and delight.</p> - -<p>The man watched his coming with a dawning -look of recognition in his eyes. He brushed -his hand over his face, as though to clear his -mind of some bewilderment. He was standing -when Don got to him.</p> - -<p>Don threw his arms about him and hugged -him convulsively.</p> - -<p>“Father! Father!” he reiterated again and -again, holding the man tightly as though he -feared he would vanish. “I’ve found you at -last! Oh, I’ve found you at last!”</p> - -<p>Mr. Sturdy returned his son’s embrace, at -first in a perfunctory way. Then, suddenly, as -though the floodgates of memory had been -opened, his clasp tightened. All the hunger -of his heart, long separated from his boy, found -expression in his voice.</p> - -<p>“Don, my dear boy! Don, how glad I am to -see you again!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">[178]</span>They remained a long time embraced, uttering -words of endearment, and then Don, his -face wet with happy tears, released his hold -and stepped back, in order that he might see -the dear face for which he had searched over a -large part of the world.</p> - -<p>It was a fine face, cleanly chiseled, with -splendid forehead and dark, piercing, but -kindly, eyes. The form was like that of his -brother Frank’s, tall, sinewy and powerful. -His complexion was as bronzed as that of an -Indian from his work as an explorer under -many suns. But the black hair that Don remembered -was now heavily streaked with silver.</p> - -<p>“But how comes it that you are in Brazil, -my dear boy?” asked his father. “I thought -you were at home in Hillville. I was counting -on seeing you again as soon as Mr. Clifton had -his yacht ready to sail.”</p> - -<p>From the first mention of Brazil, Don had -been thinking rapidly. It was evident that the -happy shock of seeing Don had in some way -swept away the knowledge of this present -Egyptian adventure and carried his father -back again to Mr. Clifton’s plantation.</p> - -<p>Don knew little of mental science, but he -knew instinctively that any revelation he might -make to his father of the real condition of -things must be made gradually and tactfully.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I got impatient to see you,” he said,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">[179]</span> -with perfect truth. “And as Uncle Frank and -Uncle Amos were coming to Brazil on a hunting -expedition, I got them to bring me along.”</p> - -<p>“Fine!” declared his father. “Your mother -will be as delighted as I am to see you sooner -than she expected. But perhaps you have seen -her already?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, I’ve seen her,” replied Don, who -found himself getting into deep waters.</p> - -<p>He looked up and saw Teddy near by, and -welcomed him as a diversion.</p> - -<p>“This is my friend, Teddy Allison, Father,” -Don introduced him.</p> - -<p>“Any friend of Don’s is a friend of mine,” -said Mr. Sturdy genially, as he took Teddy’s -extended hand. “What do you think of Brazil, -as far as you’ve seen it?”</p> - -<p>Poor Teddy, who had never laid eyes on -Brazil, was nonplused. Don came quickly to -his relief.</p> - -<p>“He thinks it’s a mighty fine country; don’t -you, Teddy?” he said brightly.</p> - -<p>“Yes, indeed,” answered Teddy, clutching -gratefully at the cue thrown to him. “A very -wonderful country.”</p> - -<p>“You’ll enjoy looking over Mr. Clifton’s -plantation,” went on Mr. Sturdy. “I’ll show -you around it if you like. It’s a remarkable -place.”</p> - -<p>To ease the situation, Don urged his father -to tell them about the wreck of the <i>Mercury</i>,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">[180]</span> -and Mr. Sturdy did so. But there were certain -breaks and pauses in the narration, as -though the story teller were trying to reconcile -certain things that bewildered him.</p> - -<p>Don’s mind was in a storm of conflicting -emotions. The dominant feeling was one of -intense delight. His father at last was restored -to him. But his heart was torn with -grief at his father’s distraught condition and -with perplexity as to how, if at all, he could -bring him to a clear conception of things as -they were.</p> - -<p>“Guess perhaps we’d better go in and get -dinner,” said Mr. Sturdy genially. “Are you -hungry?”</p> - -<p>Don and Teddy looked at each other. Were -they hungry?</p> - -<p>“Though now I think of it I have some provisions -here,” went on Mr. Sturdy, and their -hearts leaped. “The servants must have put -up a lunch for me when I came out into this -grotto, though I don’t remember bringing it. -Why they wanted to put up so much I can’t -imagine,” he continued, as he went to a little -distance and returned with a big bag of food of -various kinds. “But here it is. Help yourselves.”</p> - -<p>The boys dived into the bag, and brought out -bread and meat and canned supplies, which -Don rightly conjectured were part of the equipment<span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">[181]</span> -with which his father had started on this -strange expedition.</p> - -<p>It was like manna from the skies, and the -poor starved boys had all they could do to refrain -from gorging it like wolves. But they -knew that in their condition this might prove -fatal, and besides they had to conserve the contents -of the bag.</p> - -<p>So with a mighty effort they restrained themselves -and ate but sparingly, with new life flowing -through their veins and new hope springing -in their hearts.</p> - -<p>What marvelous changes an hour had -wrought! Many problems remained yet to be -solved, but they faced them with high hearts -and renewed courage. They felt equal to any -fate.</p> - -<p>While they ate, Mr. Sturdy had been watching -Don with deep affection in his eyes. But -his bewilderment persisted. Again and again -he rubbed his forehead in perplexity.</p> - -<p>“Do you know,” he said, when they had finished, -“there’s something queer about this -grotto? It looks more like Egypt than Brazil.”</p> - -<p>Don thought the time had come to hazard a -bold stroke.</p> - -<p>“It is Egypt,” he said quietly.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">[182]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXI<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">In the Labyrinth</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">All</span> the culture and self-restraint acquired -in years was stripped from Zeta Phalos for the -moment, even his religion dropped away, and -the superstition of his ancestors took possession -of him, as he lay moaning and beating his -head on the floor of the cave in the hope of -propitiating the angry gods of his remote -forebears who were making those weird, ghost-like -noises.</p> - -<p>It would have been idle for the captain and -Professor Bruce to have denied that they were -terribly frightened. They were brave men who -had often faced death unflinchingly. But just -now cold, stark terror had a grip on their -souls.</p> - -<p>Again that awful scream rang through the -vaulted halls, and this time after one mighty -paroxysm of fear, the Egyptian lay still. He -had fainted.</p> - -<p>The necessity of doing something to help -him broke the spell that had fastened on his -companions, and they sprang to his relief. -They chafed his hands and wrists. After a -long time he opened his eyes, only to close them<span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">[183]</span> -again with a cry, as he remembered his experience.</p> - -<p>“The gods! The gods of my forebears!” he -moaned. “They would not be defied. They -are punishing us for our presumption.”</p> - -<p>“Come, now! Come!” urged the captain, -not unkindly, his own self-possession having -been restored to him by the necessity of action. -“Pull yourself together. After all, a -sound doesn’t kill anybody.”</p> - -<p>It was a long time, however, before the old -Egyptian regained his composure. He maintained -a listening attitude, and at intervals -kept casting uneasy glances toward the unseen -body with the severed head that lay there -so quietly, but, as he thought, so menacingly, -in the darkness.</p> - -<p>The professor rightly interpreted his -thought.</p> - -<p>“It won’t do any harm to remove the -mummy to some other place, Frank,” he suggested -quietly to his brother. “They used to -pass them around at Egyptian banquets to remind -the diners of the brevity of life. But to -my mind they’re not very cheerful adjuncts of -a feast.”</p> - -<p>The captain agreed, and together he and Professor -Bruce took the mummy into a distant -passage and laid the poor relic of humanity -down reverently.</p> - -<p>The act itself and the fearlessness with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">[184]</span> -which his companions went about their distasteful -work helped Phalos markedly to resume -his usual philosophical attitude.</p> - -<p>“Old traditions were too strong for me,” he -murmured apologetically. “Then, too, my -years are telling on me and we’ve been under -an unusual strain to-day.”</p> - -<p>“I can well understand how you feel,” replied -the professor with a genial smile. “And -I don’t mind admitting that I too was unnerved. -What do you think it was, Frank?” -he asked, turning to his brother.</p> - -<p>“Can’t say,” replied the captain. “Of -course, we’ll cut out right now any suggestion -of the supernatural. That yell had either a -human or a mechanical origin. It may have -been some freak due to natural causes and the -configuration of these catacombs. Or it may -have been a trick to frighten us away on the -part of some one who doesn’t dare meet us in -the open. As it stands, one guess is as good as -another.”</p> - -<p>“If only it doesn’t come again!” ejaculated -Phalos fervently.</p> - -<p>“Let’s hope it won’t,” returned the captain. -He smiled grimly and added: “I know -when I’ve had enough. But if it does, it won’t -be so startling as the first time, for now we’re -prepared for it. But now that we’ve had our -supper, what do you say to starting on again?”</p> - -<p>All agreed to this, but when Phalos tried to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">[185]</span> -walk he found that his trembling limbs would -hardly support him.</p> - -<p>There was no help for it, and they had to -defer their attempt until the morning. They -composed themselves to sleep as best they -could, though the captain, who always slept -with one eye open, kept his rifle close at hand -so that he could clutch it instantly in case of -need.</p> - -<p>Nothing occurred through the night to disturb -them, however; and as the old Egyptian -woke refreshed and much stronger, they resumed -their search after they had partaken of -a scanty meal and finished the rest of Ismillah’s -coffee.</p> - -<p>They wandered about, examining every -passage that seemed to promise results, only -to have their souls made sick by hope deferred. -As far as they could, they endeavored to keep -within a small radius of the despoiled tomb, -for the diagram of Phalos had made it probable -that the royal tomb of Ras-Ameses was -somewhere in its vicinity.</p> - -<p>The entire day passed without success, and -it was a disgruntled trio that, when night came, -sought once more the room in which they had -passed the night before.</p> - -<p>Their provisions were dwindling, and their -forced abstinence was already compelling them -to feel the pangs of hunger and thirst.</p> - -<p>“Glad the boys are not in here with us,” remarked<span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">[186]</span> -the captain. “With their young -healthy appetites they’d feel this a mighty sight -worse than we do. At least they’ll have plenty -of provisions in the camp with Ismillah and -Abdul.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve been worrying about them all day,” -said the professor, his brow creased with -anxiety. “There hasn’t been a moment when -they were absent from my thoughts.”</p> - -<p>“Same here,” admitted the captain. -“Though both the boys are better able to take -care of themselves than any other I’ve ever -seen.”</p> - -<p>That night the awful shriek came again, rising -in hideous crescendo and dying away in -moans that chilled the blood. Fear once more -laid its icy hand on their hearts, but this time -they were prepared for it and inwardly defied -it, even Phalos controlling, outwardly at least, -his terror.</p> - -<p>About noon the next day an exclamation -from Professor Bruce brought the other two -hurrying to his side.</p> - -<p>They found him standing before a perfectly -square stone construction measuring exactly -thirty-six feet on every side. It was of polished -granite, with the blocks fitted into each -other so perfectly that the seams were scarcely -visible.</p> - -<p>With trembling fingers, the professor and -Phalos consulted the manuscript and compared<span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">[187]</span> -it with the symbols that were carved on the -nearer side. A shout of triumph burst simultaneously -from their lips.</p> - -<p>“Eureka!” shouted the professor. “We -have found it! The tomb of Ras-Ameses!”</p> - -<p>“The greatest of the Tombs of Gold!” cried -Phalos exultantly.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">[188]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXII<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">A Bewildering Experience</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Don declared that they were in Egypt, -Mr. Sturdy looked at his son as if he doubted -his sanity.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” he asked. “Are you -fooling?”</p> - -<p>“Listen, Father dear,” said Don, with an -inward prayer for guidance. “You’ve been ill -for a while, very ill, and during that illness you -were brought to Egypt. Mother came with -you, so that it was all right. And before I say -anything else, let me tell you that mother and -Ruth are well and happy—that is, they will be -perfectly happy when you are with them once -again. Won’t that be great, Father, all of us -together again in the dear old home at Hillville?”</p> - -<p>“But—what—but—” stammered Don’s -father, trying to assimilate the new and to -some extent terrifying ideas that came crowding -in upon him. “Do you mean to say that I -have been unconscious all this time?”</p> - -<p>“Not unconscious, Father,” replied Don.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">[189]</span> -“But—but in a kind of daze, as it were. And -when you got to Egypt you wanted to go on -with the work you had been doing before the -war—you know, excavating in the Valley of -the Kings.”</p> - -<p>“The Valley of the Kings!” exclaimed Mr. -Sturdy. “Yes, I remember that I did a good -deal of work there in the old days. I was looking, -I remember, for a special tomb—that of -Ras-Ameses. Of course,” he added hurriedly, -“I want you to keep that a secret between you -and me. Don’t mention that name to anybody. -Some day I hope to go looking for it again.”</p> - -<p>“You have been looking for it, Father,” said -Don gently. “While your mind was in a daze, -you know. And I believe you’ve found it. I -believe you’re in it now.”</p> - -<p>There was such a look of utter bewilderment -on his father’s face that Don’s heart ached.</p> - -<p>“But don’t try to get the rights of it just -now,” went on Don, rising. “There’ll be -plenty of time for that. The only thing that -counts is that I’ve got you again. Come and -look at what Teddy and I found this morning,” -he said. “Come along, Teddy,” he added. -“And suppose you bring that bag of provisions -along with you.”</p> - -<p>“Will I?” returned Teddy. “Just watch -me! I’ll cling to it like the ivy to the oak.”</p> - -<p>As Don, with his heart beating high, walked -along beside his father, he was delighted to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">[190]</span> -note the springiness of step and vigor of movement -that testified to his parent’s superb physical -condition. That, he knew, would be one of -the most important factors in restoring him to -mental health.</p> - -<p>There was the enthusiasm of the skilled -Egyptologist in the exclamations with which -Mr. Sturdy viewed the wonders that the boys -had discovered that morning. His delight was -unbounded, and he confirmed without question -the boys’ estimate of the wealth of their discovery.</p> - -<p>But all the time the battle was going on between -the dual personality—the Sturdy of -Brazil and the Sturdy of Egypt. It was pitiful, -and yet at the same time encouraging, to -note the way that trained intelligence of his -was trying to reconcile the two and bring order -out of chaos.</p> - -<p>“Now, Father,” said Don, after a while, -“suppose you come to the place where Teddy -and I have been roosting while we’ve been here, -and lie down and rest. That will give you a -chance to think this thing out and get your -bearings. Oh, how happy I am to have you -with me again!” he added, giving him an affectionate -hug.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sturdy welcomed the suggestion. What -he wanted more than anything else was an uninterrupted -opportunity to think. Already he -was piecing things together, and under the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">[191]</span> -severe stimulus his mental condition was mending.</p> - -<p>All that long afternoon Don’s father lay -awake, stretched out on his back, trying to adjust -himself to actual conditions. And it was -not until the dusk was gathering that Don -called him to the simple supper that he and -Teddy had quietly prepared.</p> - -<p>“I ought to tell you, Father,” said Don, -dwelling lovingly on the name that he had so -often longed to speak, “that we’ve had an unusual -and rather shivery experience each night -since we’ve been here,” and he went on to tell -of the apparition.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sturdy listened with interest.</p> - -<p>“I don’t wonder you were frightened,” he -said. “It was enough to terrify any one. I’m -glad you told me about it. Forewarned is forearmed. -It won’t be pleasant to see or listen to, -but it’s very different from having it take you -unawares.”</p> - -<p>But even though prepared, they were all -chilled to the marrow when, an hour later, that -frightful shriek was heard and they saw the -sheeted figure advancing toward them.</p> - -<p>Even as they shrank back before the menacing -monster, a shot rang out, and the apparition -wavered for a moment and disappeared.</p> - -<p>The three of them sprang to their feet in -wild amazement.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">[192]</span>“Who fired that shot?” cried Don. “Did -you, Father?”</p> - -<p>“No,” replied his father. “I have no rifle. -I thought it was you.”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t any either,” replied Don. “Uncle -Frank! Uncle Frank!” he shouted, in uncontrollable -excitement.</p> - -<p>There was a shout of surprise from a passage -near at hand, and the next moment the -captain, with a flashlight in his hand, followed -by the professor and Phalos, came rushing up -and threw his arms about Don.</p> - -<p>“My dear, dear boy!” he exclaimed, with his -voice husky with emotion.</p> - -<p>“But see, Uncle Frank! Uncle Amos!” -cried Don. “Here’s father! Don’t you recognize -him? I’ve found my father!”</p> - -<p>The scene that took place for the next few -minutes beggared description. There were -sounds of delight, grasps of the hand, slaps on -the back, incoherent questions tumbling over -one another. Hardly any one knew what he -was doing or saying, but all knew that they -were supremely, overwhelmingly happy.</p> - -<p>“We’ve found you, Dick, old man; we’ve -found you!” jubilated the captain. “And, oh, -the luck of it! We’ve found you in the Tombs -of Gold!”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">[193]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXIII<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">Riches beyond Price</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was a long time before the members of -the party could settle down to a narration of -their respective adventures. A torch was secured -from the débris in the room of Horum-Aleb, -and by its light they sat in a group, so -that they could see each other’s features as -they talked.</p> - -<p>“How lucky it was that you decided to take -a shot at the ghost—or whatever it is,” remarked -Don. “If it hadn’t been for that, we -might never have got together.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose the chief reason I shot at it, was -to relieve my feelings,” answered the captain, -with a grin. “If it were anything human, it -deserved to be shot. If it were anything mechanical, -I thought I might disable the mechanism. -We hadn’t seen the thing before to-night, -but we’d heard it, and I had judged just -about where we’d find it, and my guess was -good. I’ll take a look around in the morning.”</p> - -<p>Don had snatched an opportunity to reveal -to his uncles what he had already told his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">[194]</span> -father, and they acted with great tact and -judgment in evading risky subjects and yet including -him in their expedition, as if he knew -all about it.</p> - -<p>The elders listened avidly, too, to the boys’ -narration of what had happened since they had -been separated, and also to their story of the -gold objects they had found that morning.</p> - -<p>“Those alone would richly repay us for our -trip,” observed the professor exultantly, while -the face of Phalos flushed with pleasure. “If -now we can add to them the things undoubtedly -in the tomb of Ras-Ameses—”</p> - -<p>“Ras-Ameses!” exclaimed Don. “Do you -mean to say that you have found it?”</p> - -<p>“Practically sure of it,” asserted the captain. -“That’s all the good it does us though, -for the present,” he added, his face falling. -“It’s so solidly built it would take a charge of -dynamite to blow it open.”</p> - -<p>“No door or opening of any kind?” queried -Don.</p> - -<p>“Nothing that we’ve been able to discover -so far,” was the reply. “But we’re going at -it again in the morning.”</p> - -<p>In the jubilation in which they all shared, -they put aside for the moment the fact that -they were prisoners, doomed to perish inevitably -of hunger unless they could find an exit, -for which all had hitherto searched in vain. -But every little while that grim terror slipped<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">[195]</span> -into their thoughts, like a specter at a feast.</p> - -<p>They talked until late into the night, and -they were delighted to note the rapidity with -which Don’s father was beginning to adjust -himself to conditions. Yet, every so often, -there would be moments of confusion that were -baffling and saddening.</p> - -<p>The next morning after a hasty breakfast, -in which Mr. Sturdy’s stores played the -greater part, all went to the supposed mausoleum -of Ras-Ameses. They examined every -inch of it with the greatest care, but found not -the slightest clue to an entrance.</p> - -<p>“Suppose you hoist me up to the top,” suggested -Don.</p> - -<p>They made a back for him, and he swung -himself up. The top was flat, and made of the -same massive blocks as the sides. Nothing rewarded -his search.</p> - -<p>His announcement to that effect was received -with glum silence. It removed their last hope. -They were thoroughly dispirited and disheartened.</p> - -<p>As Don rested on the edge, he noticed a fretwork -running along the top, the only ornament -that relieved the severity of the tomb. He ran -his hand along the edge, slowly, carefully, -pressing in turn every projection.</p> - -<p>Then a thrill ran through his veins. One of -them had yielded, ever so slightly, but it had -yielded!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">[196]</span>He pressed upon it with all his might. And -there, before the gazing spectators, who stood -spellbound with amazement, one of the great -blocks about four feet from the ground swung -silently inward, revealing an aperture about -three feet in width and height.</p> - -<p>With an excited shout, the professor went -through the opening, followed one by one by -the others, and they found themselves in the -tomb of one of the mightiest of the Pharaohs, -on which no eyes had looked since it had been -sealed thousands of years before.</p> - -<p>Untold riches dazzled their eyes, as they -looked about them. Gold, gold, gold everywhere, -in columns and tablets and coffin lids -and statues, in beds and chariots and boats and -amulets, in chairs and maces and scepters and -symbols, gold in a profusion that stunned them -and took away their breath. And besides this -immeasurable wealth, there were other things -quite as priceless, rings, robes, cups, whips, -vases, inlaid and encrusted with precious -stones. And on a great golden slab lay the -sarcophagus of the mighty monarch who once -possessed all these treasures and had ordered -them to be brought to his tomb as emblems of -his boundless wealth.</p> - -<p>Hours passed like minutes while the excited -group passed from one object to another, -hardly daring to believe their good fortune, -and half fearing that they would wake and find<span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">[197]</span> -it all a dream. They had expected much, but -this surpassed all their expectations.</p> - -<p>It was only weariness that reminded them -that they had spent the whole day in rejoicing -over their wonderful discovery and suggested -the need of food and rest.</p> - -<p>“We owe it all to you, Don,” said the professor, -as the excited and happy group made -their way back to the rendezvous. “If you -hadn’t found that spring—”</p> - -<p>“Just a bit of luck,” disclaimed Don modestly.</p> - -<p>“Was it just luck?” asked the captain -pointedly.</p> - -<p>“Well, not exactly,” admitted Don. “The -fact is, I remembered the way King Cheops -concealed the opening into his tomb in the -Great Pyramid. I thought the same thing -might have been worked here, so I tried to -feel for it. But it was just luck I thought of -it.”</p> - -<p>“Luck!” snorted the captain. “I call it -brain. And about the finest specimen of brain -I know of is in the headpiece of a certain young -fellow named Don Sturdy!”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">[198]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXIV<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">The Sleepwalker</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Naturally</span>, there was one subject above all -others discussed that night as the explorers ate -their meal and later, when they lay about and -relaxed from the strain of the day.</p> - -<p>But even more important than that was one -that the captain had with Don’s father, as he -drew the latter a little apart from the group -later in the evening.</p> - -<p>“How are things shaping, Richard?” asked -the captain, laying his hand on his brother’s -arm with an affectionate gesture.</p> - -<p>“I think I’m beginning to get matters in -their true relations,” replied Mr. Sturdy. -“The discovery to-day has done a lot toward -clearing things up. I don’t recall a thing as -yet about my voyage from Brazil to Egypt. -But I am beginning to remember some of the -things that have occurred since my reaching -here. I can dimly recall the faces of some of -the workmen I employed. It’s still rather -dreamlike, but it’s coming.”</p> - -<p>“That’s great!” exclaimed the captain. “It<span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">[199]</span> -won’t be long at this rate before the last haziness -will have vanished. But there is one thing -especially that I wish you would try to remember. -It’s a thing on which the lives of all of us -may depend. How did you get in here?”</p> - -<p>Richard Sturdy closed his eyes and tried to -remember. But after a prolonged effort, he -opened his eyes and shook his head wearily.</p> - -<p>“I can’t do it, Frank,” he said. “The sudden -blending of the recollections of Brazil with -those of Egypt has left me confused on some -points. I don’t yet remember anything of what -passed just before I found myself on the bank -of the stream.”</p> - -<p>“Let me see if I can help you,” said his -brother. “You heard Don describe the way he -got in, or rather fell into, this place. Did you -come in that way?”</p> - -<p>Richard Sturdy shook his head.</p> - -<p>“I’m sure I didn’t,” he answered. “I’d -probably have some scratches and bruises to -show for it just as the boys have.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you recall the one rock balanced on -the other where we came in?” persisted the -captain.</p> - -<p>“All Greek to me,” was the reply.</p> - -<p>“I see,” said the captain. “Now, Richard,” -he went on solemnly, “the lives of all of us are -in your hands. Somewhere, somehow, you -found an entrance into this place. We’ve -searched for it in vain. Our provisions will<span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">[200]</span> -last for only a short time longer. When they -are gone we shall starve. Try, Richard, try to -remember. Concentrate your mind on it. -Make a supreme effort.”</p> - -<p>“I will,” promised Richard Sturdy, deeply -moved. “Oh, if my mind were what it used to -be! But I will make a desperate effort.”</p> - -<p>“Good!” encouraged the captain. “In the -meantime we’ll call it a day and settle down to -sleep, so that you can think undisturbed.”</p> - -<p>A quiet word to the others and the talk subsided, -and they stretched out in slumber.</p> - -<p>But Richard Sturdy lay awake far into the -night cudgeling his brain in vain, and it was -only toward morning that he fell exhausted -into a deep sleep.</p> - -<p>Just as the first faint streaks of dawn stole -into the chamber Don was awakened by the -captain’s hand on his arm and the captain’s -other hand on his lips.</p> - -<p>“S—sh!” whispered his uncle, as Don sat up -in surprise.</p> - -<p>Don followed the direction of his uncle’s -eyes, and saw that his father had risen, and -was standing in a somewhat strained and unnatural -attitude.</p> - -<p>Richard Sturdy stood for a moment and -turned his face first to the right and then to the -left. Don caught a glimpse of his eyes, and -saw that they had an expressionless appearance,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">[201]</span> -almost as though they were made of -glass.</p> - -<p>Then his father started off with the stiff -step of a soldier on parade, down one of the -passages that led off to the right. In an instant -the captain and Don were on their feet -and following him on tiptoe.</p> - -<p>On Richard Sturdy went, until Don could -hear the faint falling of the water that had been -such a blessed boon to him the morning before.</p> - -<p>His father followed the bank of the stream -until he came to a place where the little river -seemed to lose itself through a narrow passage -into a small mound of earth.</p> - -<p>Without a moment’s hesitation, Mr. Sturdy -stepped into the stream, bent down until his -back was in almost a horizontal position, and -disappeared under the mound.</p> - -<p>Don and the captain followed his example. -Their faces almost touched the water as they -bent down, but there was still room for them to -breathe.</p> - -<p>A moment later, they emerged into an apartment -of about twenty feet in length and width. -At one side it sloped gently upward.</p> - -<p>Richard Sturdy climbed the slope, bent over -and pushed away a heavy growth of bushes, -and a rush of light and fresh morning air -swept in from the outside world.</p> - -<p>Don leaped into the air and was about to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">[202]</span> -give utterance to a delighted whoop, but the -captain clapped his hand over his mouth.</p> - -<p>“Not a sound,” he whispered. “We mustn’t -wake him.”</p> - -<p>So Don, though in his glee he fairly ached to -shout and dance, was forced to restrain himself.</p> - -<p>Richard Sturdy stood for a moment looking -outside. Then, with the same stiff, soldierly -stride, he passed the silent watchers, retraced -his steps, and sank down in his former place -with a deep drawn sigh.</p> - -<p>Then and only then did the captain and Don -dare to give vent to their delight. They shook -hands vigorously, their faces beaming. Then -they wakened the others, and after cautioning -them about disturbing Mr. Sturdy, imparted -the joyous news that threw them all into a -delirium of rapture.</p> - -<p>It was late when Don’s father awoke.</p> - -<p>“No use, Frank,” he said sadly, as his eyes -encountered those of the captain. “I’ve tried -and tried, but I can’t think of the way I got in -here.”</p> - -<p>The captain took his hand.</p> - -<p>“You’ve already shown us, Richard,” he -said gently. “You thought about it so intently -last night that it came to you in your sleep and -you led us to it. We are saved, Richard, and -you are our savior.”</p> - -<p>Then he narrated briefly and simply the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">[203]</span> -events of the night. Mr. Sturdy was overwhelmed, -though in his joy there was a tincture -of embarrassment.</p> - -<p>Apart altogether from the value of his service, -unconscious as it was, the fact that he had -saved the party was of immense benefit in helping -Don’s father to recover his mental balance. -Knowing dimly his infirmity, he had had a -sense of dependence, of uselessness, of inferiority, -and had felt that he was more or less of -a burden on the others. He feared to look into -the future. But the service he had done them -removed this feeling altogether, and from that -time on his progress was rapid.</p> - -<p>They could now eat freely, not only of Mr. -Sturdy’s provisions, but Don and Teddy served -for communication with Ismillah and Abdul, -bringing in supplies daily, though taking the -utmost precautions to see that they were not -followed.</p> - -<p>They were uneasy at learning, however, that -though the servants had not been molested in -their hidden retreat, they had frequently seen -a band of Bedouins ranging the vicinity, -headed by Tezra and Nepahak, both of whom -were known to Ismillah.</p> - -<p>Don had recovered his own rifle, and on reporting -the facts gained from Ismillah, had -been directed by the captain to bring plenty of -ammunition from their store and enough rifles -to equip every member of the party.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">[204]</span>Nearly a week was required for the professor -and Zeta Phalos, with the assistance of the -others, to catalogue the treasures of the tomb -for submission to the Egyptian Government. -A great many of the most portable of these -were packed to carry along with them, as -proofs of their discovery.</p> - -<p>On the night before they planned to leave, -they were engaged in an earnest conversation -about their future movements when once again -the horrible shriek brought them to their feet -and the dreadful figure, more frightful, it -seemed to them, than ever, seemed to move -threateningly toward them, its banshee wail -arousing a thousand echoes.</p> - -<p>The captain reached for his gun and fired, -and the figure vanished.</p> - -<p>“Come along!” called the captain, as he -seized a torch and rushed in that direction. -“We’ll settle this thing right here and now!”</p> - -<p>The others, all except Phalos, followed with -torches and flashlights, and found the captain -standing on the brink of a chasm.</p> - -<p>They looked over fearfully, and then the -captain broke into a gale of laughter.</p> - -<p>“There’s your ghost!” he cried. “Look at -him!” and he pointed to a large platform made -of reeds and covered with a white sheet on -which some phosphorescent substance had been -daubed, hanging a little below the brink of the -chasm.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">[205]</span>“And I winged him too with that shot,” the -captain chuckled, as he pointed to a broken -hinge, the brightly gleaming shattered edge of -which showed that the break had been recent. -“Come here, Phalos,” he shouted, “and look -at your ghost.”</p> - -<p>The old Egyptian, reassured by the laughter, -came forward and looked rather sheepishly at -the discredited “ghost.”</p> - -<p>“Simplicity itself,” declared the professor, -“and yet ingenious too. There’s no doubt the -thing was designed to frighten off intruders. -You see the thing is made of reeds, through -which the wind plays, something on the principle -of an Æolian harp, only in this case they -were so arranged as to produce discords instead -of harmonies. When the night wind -springs up, there’s a tremendous draught comes -up this funnel-like chasm, as you can tell by -putting your hand over the edge. When an unusually -heavy gust comes, it sends this thing -up into the air with its phosphorescent sheet -and other fixings.”</p> - -<p>“But it will never fly up again,” cried the -captain. “I’ve broken one of its wings. Here -goes the other.”</p> - -<p>His rifle cracked and the remaining hinge -snapped. There was a moment’s fluttering, -and then the whole hideous contraption sank -out of sight forever to the bottom of the abyss.</p> - -<p>The next morning the explorers bade farewell<span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">[206]</span> -to the Tombs of Golds, and passed out into -the open. It took them several hours to get -out their precious burdens, and several more -to get them packed on the extra camels they -had brought along for pack purposes.</p> - -<p>They were making their way down the rocks -with the last consignment when a squad of -rough-looking riders, about a score in number, -came in sight from around a stony slope a -quarter of a mile away.</p> - -<p>“Down!” cried the captain, setting the example.</p> - -<p>The others sought to obey, but, encumbered -as they were by their burdens, could not do it -so quickly as to avoid detection.</p> - -<p>That they had been seen was plain from the -actions of the riders, who pulled their mounts -to a sudden halt, and two or three of whom, -who appeared to be the leaders, gathered in -excited discussion.</p> - -<p>Then, the conference at an end, the newcomers -rode on slowly and came to a pause at -the foot of the slope where the explorers had -chosen their position behind the rocks, not -more than two hundred feet away.</p> - -<p>In the front, like birds of ill omen, rode Tezra -and Nepahak.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">[207]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXV<br> - -<small><span class="smcap">Victory against Odds</span></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Don</span> was sheltered by a rock immediately adjoining -the one behind which his Uncle Frank -was lying, and he could hear the latter grit his -teeth as he caught sight of the two rascals.</p> - -<p>“The spawn!” the captain muttered. “I’ll -have a crack at each of them before the day is -over.”</p> - -<p>Tezra detached himself from the fierce-eyed, -hawk-nosed tribesmen that formed his lawless -following, and, waving a white cloth, advanced -toward the foot of the slope.</p> - -<p>“I’d like to shoot it out of his hand,” -growled the captain.</p> - -<p>But an envoy’s flag, even when held by a -scoundrel, is sacred, and the captain reluctantly -rose to his feet.</p> - -<p>“Keep him covered,” he commanded, and -turned toward Tezra.</p> - -<p>“What do you want?” he demanded curtly.</p> - -<p>“A share of the treasure you have found,” -replied Tezra.</p> - -<p>“I like your impudence,” returned the captain. -“On what ground?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">[208]</span>“Because we are the stronger,” was the -cynical avowal. “We are many and you are -few.”</p> - -<p>“And if I refuse?”</p> - -<p>“We will come and take it and wipe you -out.”</p> - -<p>“And if I surrender it to you?”</p> - -<p>“We will let you go with your lives.”</p> - -<p>“Now listen to me, you scoundrel,” blazed -forth the captain. “My answer is ‘no’. A -thousand times, no! You can’t have anything -except over our dead bodies.”</p> - -<p>“You are going to your death,” snarled -Tezra. “We are twenty to six. You have no -chance.”</p> - -<p>“You and Nepahak will go with us then,” -retorted the captain. “You have my answer. -Come and take us.”</p> - -<p>The discomfited envoy, with a scowl, returned -to his companions, and an animated debate -ensued.</p> - -<p>Tezra and Nepahak, their red fezzes shining -brightly in the sun, could be seen moving here -and there, evidently urging a course of action -to which some of the others objected.</p> - -<p>“I’m going to throw a scare into those fellows,” -declared the captain. “Don, do you see -that tassel at the side of Tezra’s fez?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Don, getting his rifle ready.</p> - -<p>“Clip it,” the captain commanded. “I’ll<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">[209]</span> -take the button on the fez of Nepahak. Fire -when I give the word.”</p> - -<p>They took careful aim.</p> - -<p>“Fire!”</p> - -<p>The shots rang out simultaneously. The button -was shorn neatly from Nepahak’s fez, and -the tassel fell from the side of the fez of Tezra -as though it had been clipped with shears.</p> - -<p>A chorus of shouts went up from the tribesmen -and they threw themselves from their -mounts, crouching on the further side of -the animals for shelter. Tezra and Nepahak, -their faces blanched, quickly did the same.</p> - -<p>“We could have sent those through your -heads just as easily,” shouted the captain, -“but we do not want your blood on our hands.”</p> - -<p>That the marvelous shooting had had its effect -was evident from the long pause that ensued. -Don began to hope that the “bluff” had -succeeded.</p> - -<p>But the hope of loot had been too long nourished -and the disparity in numbers was too -great for the robbers to abandon their project -so easily. It was unlikely that all of the little -forlorn hope of six were equally good marksmen.</p> - -<p>Gradually the camels, under the prodding of -their hidden masters, began to move slowly toward -the base of the slope so as to diminish -the distance when the time came to charge. It -would have been easy to bring some of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">[210]</span> -camels down, but the explorers stayed their -hands.</p> - -<p>“They’re coming now!” exclaimed the captain, -as his practiced eye saw that they were -gathering for a rush. “Don’t show an inch -more of yourselves that you can help. Fire to -wound but not to kill, on this first rush. A man -put out of action counts for as much as a dead -one. Fire when I give the order, and then keep -on firing.”</p> - -<p>A score of rifles suddenly appeared above -the camels’ backs, and a volley of bullets came -pattering against the rocks. Then, with a loud -shout, the Bedouins abandoned their shelters -and rushed forward, firing as they came.</p> - -<p>“Fire!” cried the captain.</p> - -<p>Six rifles cracked and each missile found a -mark. Don had picked out Nepahak, and -caught him in the leg. The captain sent a bullet -through Tezra’s shoulder. Mr. Sturdy -brought down the Bedouin chief. The others, -at such close range, could hardly miss, and they -did not.</p> - -<p>The tribesmen wavered as they saw their -leaders go down. Another volley wrought -havoc in their ranks, and they broke and ran -to the shelter of their camels. No bullets pursued -them, as the explorers wanted to limit the -casualties as much as possible.</p> - -<p>“Do you think they will rush us again, Uncle -Frank?” asked Don, as he reloaded.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">[211]</span>“Not likely; though they may,” was the -reply. “And they may have reinforcements in -the vicinity who will be attracted by the sound -of the shooting. Hark! What’s that?”</p> - -<p>There was the sound of a bugle in the distance, -and a few minutes later a squad of Egyptian -cavalry galloped up, a smart looking officer -riding at their head.</p> - -<p>At the first bugle note, the unwounded tribesmen -mounted their camels and scurried away -as fast as their beasts could carry them.</p> - -<p>The young officer swung himself from the -saddle and looked about at the wounded men, -who gave ample evidence that a skirmish had -occurred.</p> - -<p>The Americans, accompanied by Phalos, advanced -to meet him. A short colloquy followed, -and the situation was cleared up satisfactorily. -The squad was a Government patrol sent out -to subdue lawless bands that had of late been -giving much trouble.</p> - -<p>“You’ve done some of our work for us,” the -officer declared, as he supervised the work of -gathering up the bandits. None had been -killed, though some of the wounds were painful.</p> - -<p>If looks could have killed, the party would -certainly have perished beneath the baleful -glances cast at them by Tezra and Nepahak, -who, shortly afterward, were sentenced to ten -years at hard labor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_212">[212]</span>The offer of the young officer to escort the -exploring party to Luxor was accepted, and -they reached the city with their precious -freight in safety. The dahabiyeh of Phalos -conveyed them to Cairo, and there they made -their report to the Egyptian Government, -which immediately set a guard about the tomb -of Ras-Ameses.</p> - -<p>The announcement of the discovery to the -world created a tremendous sensation, and -honors were showered without stint on the discoverers. -The usual arrangement was made, -whereby a certain share of the treasures went -to the Government and the rest was equally -divided among the members of the party, making -every one of them rich beyond their -dreams.</p> - -<p>But richer far to Don was his finding of his -father, a fact that he cabled at the first possible -moment to the wife and daughter waiting in -America. The delirious joy that the news -brought into the Hillville home was beyond expression. -Answering cables came, brimming -with happiness and affection, and urging the -voyagers to hasten home.</p> - -<p>Teddy, too, had got in instant communication -with his father, and the answer received -removed all apprehension he might have had -as to his escapade.</p> - -<p>“Guess that spanking has gone into the discard,” -he grinned, as he read his message.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">[213]</span> -“Dad seems to think that his wandering boy is -the goods, after all.”</p> - -<p>As Don reviewed the events of those stirring -weeks, he felt that he never again would meet -with such exciting adventures. But that he -was mistaken will be seen in the next book of -this series, entitled: “Don Sturdy Across the -North Pole; or, Cast Away in the Land of Ice.”</p> - -<p>Their parting with Phalos was a cause of -keen regret to all of them, for they had learned -to regard the old Egyptian with the deepest affection. -The feeling was reciprocated, and he -bade them farewell with the greatest reluctance, -after making them promise that they -would make his villa their home on any future -visit to Egypt.</p> - -<p>The voyage home was a swift and prosperous -one, and the reception they had when they -reached Hillville was one never to be forgotten. -It was a red letter day in that household when -Mr. Sturdy, almost wholly recovered, gathered -his wife and daughter in his arms. Happiness -had proved a wonderful tonic, and Mrs. Sturdy -was herself again while the roses were once -more blooming in Ruth’s cheeks.</p> - -<p>A skillful surgeon found a way to cure Mr. -Sturdy utterly by removing a splinter of skull -that had been pressing on the brain, and then -indeed the Sturdy home became an earthly -paradise.</p> - -<p>Don’s exploits made him a hero with the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">[214]</span> -other members of the household, Dan and Mrs. -Roscoe and Jennie, whose delight at the return -of the adventurers was only less keen than that -of Ruth and Mrs. Sturdy. Jennie, especially, -threatened to create a scarcity in the gum market, -as she vigorously worked her jaws while -listening with delicious shivers to the story of -his wanderings in the tomb of the monarch, -whom she persisted in calling “Ras-Paresis.”</p> - -<p>Don shone with an added luster also in the -eyes of Fred and Emily Turner. But he laughingly -evaded the pedestal on which they sought -to place him.</p> - -<p>“It’s dad who deserves all the credit,” he -said. “I only fell into the Tombs of Gold. It -was dad who led us out.”</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">The End</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="ph3"><span class="u"><i>This Isn’t All!</i></span></p> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Would you like to know what -became of the good friends you -have made in this book?</p> - -<p>Would you like to read other -stories continuing their adventures -and experiences, or other books -quite as entertaining by the same -author?</p> - -<p>On the <i>reverse side</i> of the wrapper -which comes with this book, -you will find a wonderful list of -stories which you can buy at the -same store where you got this book.</p> - -<p class="ph2"><i>Don’t throw away the Wrapper</i></p> - -<p><i>Use it as a handy catalog of the books -you want some day to have. But in -case you do mislay it, write to the -Publishers for a complete catalog.</i></p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="transnote"> -<p class="ph1">TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:</p> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.</p> - -<p>Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.</p> - -<p>Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.</p> -</div></div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DON STURDY IN THE TOMBS OF GOLD ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. -</div> - -<div style='margin-top:1em; font-size:1.1em; text-align:center'>START: FULL LICENSE</div> -<div style='text-align:center;font-size:0.9em'>THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE</div> -<div style='text-align:center;font-size:0.9em'>PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person -or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the -Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when -you share it without charge with others. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work -on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the -phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: -</div> - -<blockquote> - <div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most - other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions - whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms - of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online - at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you - are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws - of the country where you are located before using this eBook. - </div> -</blockquote> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg™ License. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format -other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain -Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -provided that: -</div> - -<div style='margin-left:0.7em;'> - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation.” - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ - works. - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. - </div> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right -of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread -public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state -visit <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/donate/">www.gutenberg.org/donate</a>. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. -</div> - -</div> -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/69398-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/69398-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 5084a7f..0000000 --- a/old/69398-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69398-h/images/coversmall.jpg b/old/69398-h/images/coversmall.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1de47a6..0000000 --- a/old/69398-h/images/coversmall.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69398-h/images/frontis.jpg b/old/69398-h/images/frontis.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ad3b52e..0000000 --- a/old/69398-h/images/frontis.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69398-h/images/titlepage.jpg b/old/69398-h/images/titlepage.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 70eee19..0000000 --- a/old/69398-h/images/titlepage.jpg +++ /dev/null |
