Victor Appleton

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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!
[173] “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.” ”

“ 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.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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?” ”

“ 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 [24] 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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.
[156] The captain turned about and shouted:
“Come along, Don! Come along, Teddy!” ”

“ 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.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 [45] around the world to be balked at last. ”

“ 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, [21] 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? ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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, [180] and Mr. Sturdy did so. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The Egyptians believed that every human being possessed a double that [117] 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”