Strange as it may seem, all the circumstances attending it being taken
into consideration, that voyage up the Nile was one of the most
enjoyable I have ever undertaken. It is true the weather was somewhat
warmer than was altogether agreeable; but if you visit Egypt at
midsummer you must be prepared for a little discomfort in that respect.
From the moment of rising until it was time to retire at night our time
was spent under the awning on deck, reading, conversing, and watching
the scenery on either bank, and on my part in putting the finishing
touches to the picture I had commenced the afternoon we left Cairo.
When it was completed to my satisfaction, which was on the seventh day
of our voyage, and that upon which we expected to reach Luxor, I showed
it to Pharos. He examined it carefully, and it was some time before he
offered an opinion upon it.
"I will pay you the compliment of saying I consider it a striking
example of your art," he said, when he did speak. "At the same time, I
must confess it puzzles me. I do not understand whence you drew your
inspiration. There are things in this picture, important details in the
dress and architecture, that I feel convinced have never been seen by
this century. How, therefore, you could have known them passes my
comprehension."
"I have already told you that that picture represents what I saw in my
vision," I answered.
"You still believe that you saw a vision then?" he asked, with a return
to his old sneering habit, as he picked the monkey up and began to
stroke his ears.
"I shall always do so," I answered. "Nothing will ever shake my belief
in that."
At this moment the Fraeulein Valerie joined us, whereupon Pharos handed
her the picture and asked for her opinion upon it. She examined it
carefully, while I waited with some anxiety for her criticism.
"It is very clever," she said, still looking at it, "and beautifully
painted; but, if you will let me say so, I do not know that I altogether
like it. There is something about it that I do not understand. And see,
you have given the central figure Monsieur Pharos's face."
She looked up at me as if to inquire the reason of this likeness, after
which we both glanced at Pharos, who was seated before us, wrapped as
usual in his heavy rug, with the monkey, Pehtes, peering out from his
invariable hiding-place beneath his master's coat. For the moment I did
not know what answer to return. To have told her in the broad light of
day, with the prosaic mud-banks of the Nile on either hand, and the
Egyptian sailors washing paint-work at the farther end of the deck, that
in my vision I had been convinced that Pharos and Ptahmes were one and
the same person, would have been too absurd. Pharos, however, relieved
me of the necessity of saying anything by replying for me.
"Mr. Forrester has done me great honour, my dear," he said gaily, "in
choosing my features for the central figure. I had no idea that my
unfortunate person was capable of such dramatic effect.--If at any
time, Forrester, you should desire to dispose of that picture, I shall
be delighted to take it off your hands."
"You may have it now," I answered. "If you think it worthy of your
acceptance, I will gladly give it you. To tell the truth, I myself, like
the Fraeulein here, am a little afraid of it, though why I should be,
seeing that it is my own work, Heaven only knows."
"As you say, Heaven only knows," returned Pharos solemnly, and then
making the excuse that he would put the picture in a place of safety, he
left us and went to his cabin, Pehtes hopping along the deck behind him.
For some time after he had left us the Fraeulein and I sat silent. The
afternoon was breathless, and even our progress through the water raised
no breeze. We were passing the town of Keneh at the time, a miserable
collection of buildings of the usual Nile type, and famous only as being
a rallying place for Mecca pilgrims, and for the Kulal and Ballas
(water-bottles), which bear its name.
While her eyes were fixed upon it I was permitted an opportunity of
studying my companion's countenance. I noted the proud poise of her
head, and the luxuriance of the hair coiled so gracefully above it. She
was a queen among women, as I had so often told myself; one whom any man
might be proud to love, and then I added, as another thought struck me,
one for whom the man she loved might willingly lay down his life. That I
loved her with a sincerity and devotion greater than I had ever felt for
any other human being, I was fully aware by this time. If the truth must
be told, I believe I had loved her from the moment I first saw her face.
But was it possible that she could love me?
"I have noticed that you are very thoughtful to-day, Fraeulein," I said,
as the steamer dropped the town behind her and continued her journey up
stream in a somewhat more westerly direction.
"Have I not good reason to be?" she answered. "You must remember I have
made this journey before."
"But why should that produce such an effect upon you?" I asked. "To me
it is a pleasure that has not yet begun to pall, and as you will, I am
sure, admit, Pharos has proved a most thoughtful and charming host."
I said this with intention, for I wanted to see what reply she would
make.
"I have not noticed his behaviour," she answered wearily. "It is always
the same to me. But I _do_ know this, that after each visit to the place
for which we are now bound, great trouble has resulted for some one.
Heaven grant that it may not be so on this occasion!"
"I do not see what trouble _can_ result," I said. "Pharos is simply
going to replace the mummy in the tomb from which it was taken, and
after that I presume we shall return to Cairo, and probably to Europe."
"And then?"
"After that----"
But I could get no further. The knowledge that in all likelihood as soon
as we reached Europe I should have to bid her good-bye and return to
London was too much for me, and for this reason I came within an ace of
blurting out the words that were in my heart. Fortunately, however, I
was able to summon up my presence of mind in time to avert such a
catastrophe, otherwise I can not say what the result would have been.
Had I revealed my love to her and asked her to be my wife, and she had
refused me, our position, boxed up together as we were on board the
steamer, and with no immediate prospect of release, would have been
uncomfortable in the extreme. So I crammed the words back into my heart
and waited for another and more favourable opportunity.
The sun was sinking behind the Arabian hills, in a wealth of gold and
crimson colouring, as we obtained our first glimpse of the mighty ruins
we had come so far to see. Out of a dark green sea of palms to the left,
rose the giant pylons of the Temple of Ammon at Karnak. A few minutes
later Luxor itself was visible, and within a quarter of an hour our
destination was reached, and the steamer was at a standstill.
We had scarcely come to an anchor before the vessel was surrounded by
small boats, the occupants of which clambered aboard, despite the
efforts of the officers and crew to prevent them. As usual they brought
with them spurious relics of every possible sort and description, not
one of which, however, our party could be induced to buy. The Fraeulein
Valerie and I were still protesting, when Pharos emerged from his cabin
and approached us. Never shall I forget the change that came over the
scene. From the expressions upon the rascals' faces I gathered that he
was well known to them, at any rate within five seconds of his
appearance not one of our previous persecutors remained aboard the
vessel.
"They seem to know you." I said to Pharos, with a laugh, as the last of
the gang took a header from the rail into the water.
"They do," he answered grimly. "I think I can safely promise you that
after this not a man in Luxor will willingly set foot upon this vessel.
Would you care to try the experiment?"
"Very much," I said, and taking an Egyptian pound piece from my pocket I
stepped to the side and invited the rabble to come aboard and claim it.
But the respect they entertained for Pharos was evidently greater than
their love of gold; at any rate not a man seemed inclined to venture.
"A fair test," said Pharos. "You may rest assured that unless you throw
it over to them your money will remain in your own pocket. But see, some
one of importance is coming off to us. I am expecting a messenger, and
in all probability it is he."
A somewhat better boat than those clustered around us was putting off
from the bank, and seated in her was an Arab, clad in white burnouse and
wearing a black turban upon his head.
"Yes, it is he," said Pharos, as with a few strokes of their oars the
boatmen brought their craft alongside.
Before I could inquire who the person might be whom he was expecting,
the man I have just described had reached the deck, and, after looking
about him, approached the spot where Pharos was standing. Accustomed as
I was to the deference shown by the Arabs toward their superiors, I was
far from expecting the exhibition of servility I now beheld. So
overpowered was the new-comer by the reverence he felt for Pharos that
he could scarcely stand upright.
"I expected thee, Salem Awad," said Pharos, in Arabic. "What tidings
dost thou bring?"
"I come to tell thee," the man replied, "that he whom thou didst order
to be here has heard of thy coming, and will await thee at the place of
which thou hast spoken."
"It is well," continued Pharos. "Has all of which I wrote to thee been
prepared?"
"All has been prepared and awaits thy coming."
"Return then and tell him who sent thee to me that I will be with him
before he sleeps to-night."
The man bowed once more and made his way to his boat, in which he
departed for the bank.
When he had gone, Pharos turned to me.
"We are expected," he said, "and, as you heard him say, preparations
have been made to enable us to carry out the work we have come to do.
After all his journeying Ptahmes has at last returned to the city of his
birth and death. It is a strange thought, is it not? Look about you, Mr.
Forrester, and see the mightiest ruins the world has known. Yonder is
the Temple of Luxor, away to the north you can see the remains of the
Temple of Ammon at Karnak; five thousand years ago they were connected
by a mighty road. Yonder is the Necropolis of Thebes, with the tombs
that once contained the mortal remains of the mighty ones of Egypt.
Where are those mighty ones now? Scattered to the uttermost parts of the
earth, stolen from their resting-places to adorn glass cases in European
and American museums, and to be sold at auction by Jew salesmen at so
much per head, the prices varying according to their dates and state of
preservation. But there, time is too short to talk of such indignity.
The gods will avenge it in their own good time. Let it suffice that
to-night we are to fulfil our errand. Am I right in presuming that you
desire to accompany me?"
"I should be sincerely disappointed if I could not do so," I answered.
"But if you would prefer to go alone I will not force my presence upon
you."
"I shall only be too glad of your company," he answered. "Besides, you
have a right to be present, since it is through you I am permitted an
opportunity of replacing my venerable ancestor in his tomb. Perhaps you
will be good enough to hold yourself in readiness to start at eleven
o'clock. Owing to the publicity now given to anything that happens in
the ruins of this ancient city, the mere fact that we are returning a
mummy to its tomb, of the existence of which the world has no knowledge,
would be sufficient to attract a concourse of people whose presence
would be in the highest degree objectionable to me."
"You must excuse my interrupting you," I said, thinking I had caught him
tripping, "but you have just said that you are going to open a tomb of
the existence of which the world has no knowledge. Surely my father
opened it many years ago, otherwise how did he become possessed of the
mummy?"
"Your father discovered it, it is true, but he stumbled upon it quite by
chance, and it was reburied within a few hours of his extracting the
mummy. If he were alive now I would defy him to find the place again."
"And you are going to open it to-night?"
"That is my intention. And when I have done so it will once more be
carefully hidden, and may woe light upon the head of the man who shall
again disturb it!"
I do not know whether this speech was intended to have any special
significance, but as he said it he looked hard at me, and never since I
have known him had I seen a more diabolical expression upon his
countenance. I could scarcely have believed that the human face was
capable of such malignity. He recovered himself as quickly, however, and
then once more bidding me prepare for the excursion of the evening, took
himself off to his cabin and left me to ponder over all he had said.
Eleven o'clock had only just struck that night when the tall Arab, my
acquaintance of the Pyramids, came along the deck in search of me. I was
sitting with the Fraeulein Valerie at the time, but as soon as he told me
that Pharos was waiting and that it was time for us to start, I made
haste to rise. On hearing our errand my companion became uneasy.
"I do not like it," she said. "Why could he not do it in the daytime?
This going off under cover of the night savours too much of the
conspirator, and I beg you to be careful of what you do. Have you a
revolver?"
I answered in the affirmative, whereupon she earnestly advised me to
carry it with me, a course which I resolved to adopt. Then bidding her
good-bye I left her and went to my cabin, little dreaming that upward of
a week would elapse before I should see her again.
When I joined Pharos on deck I discovered that he had made no difference
in his attire, but was dressed just as I had always seen him, even to
the extent of his heavy coat which he wore despite the heat of the
night.
"If you are ready," he said, "let us lose no time in starting." Then
turning to the tall Arab, he bade him call the boat up, and as soon as
it was at the ladder we descended and took our places in it. A few
strokes of the oars brought us to the bank, where we found two camels
awaiting us. On closer inspection I discovered that the individual in
charge of them was none other than the man who had boarded the steamer
that afternoon, and whom I have particularized as having shown such
obsequious respect to Pharos.
At a sign from the latter, one of the camels was brought to his knees,
and I was invited to take my place in the saddle. I had never in my life
ridden one of these ungainly brutes, and it was necessary for the
driver to instruct me in the art. Pharos, however, seemed quite at home,
and as soon as he had mounted, and the camels had scrambled to their
feet once more, we set off.
If my drive to the Pyramids, a week before, had been a singular
experience, this camel ride among the ruins of ancient Thebes at
midnight was much more so. On every side were relics of that
long-departed age when the city had been the centre of the civilized
world.
After the heat of the day the coolness of the night was most refreshing.
Overhead the stars shone brilliantly, while from the desert a little
lonely wind came up and sighed for the desolation of the place. Nothing
could have been in better keeping with the impressiveness of the
occasion. One thing, however, puzzled me, for so far I had seen nothing
of the chief, and indeed the only reason of the expedition--namely, the
mummy of the dead Magician. I questioned Pharos on the subject, who
answered briefly that it had been sent on ahead to await our coming at
the tomb, and having given this explanation lapsed into silence.
It must have been upward of half an hour later when the tall Arab, who
had all the way walked in front of the camel upon which Pharos was
seated, stopped and held up his hand. The animals immediately came to a
standstill. Peering into the darkness ahead, I found that we were
standing before a gigantic building which towered into the starlight.
This proved to be the main pylon of the great Temple of Ammon, the most
stupendous example of human architecture ever erected on the surface of
our globe. On either side of the open space upon which we stood, rows of
kriosphinxes showed where a noble road had once led from the temple to
the river.
At a signal from Pharos the man who had boarded the steamer that
afternoon left us and entered the building, leaving us outside.
Fully five minutes must have elapsed before he returned. When he did so
he said something to Pharos in a low voice, who immediately descended
from his camel and signed to me to do the same. Then we, in our turn,
approached the gigantic pylon, at the entrance of which we were met by a
man carrying a lighted torch. Viewed by this dim and uncertain light the
place appeared indescribably mysterious. Overhead the walls towered up
and up until I lost sight of them in the darkness. Presently we entered
a large court--so large indeed that even with the assistance of the
guide's torch we could not see the farther end of it. Then passing
through a doorway formed of enormous blocks of stone, the architrave of
which could scarcely have been less than a hundred feet from the ground,
we found ourselves standing in yet another and even greater hall. Here
we paused, while Pharos went forward into the darkness alone, leaving me
in the charge of the tall Arab and the man who carried the torch. Where
he had gone, and his reason for thus leaving me, I could not imagine,
and my common sense told me it would only be waste of time on my part to
inquire. Minutes went by until perhaps half an hour had elapsed, and
still he did not return. I was about to make some remark upon this, when
I noticed that the man holding the torch, who had hitherto been leaning
against a pillar, suddenly drew himself up and looked toward another
side of the great hall. I followed the direction of his eyes and saw an
old man approaching me. He was clad in white from head to foot, and with
a long white beard descending to within a few inches of his waist. He
signed to me to follow him, and then turning, led me across the hall in
the direction he had come. I followed close at his heels, threaded my
way among the mighty pillars carved all over with hieroglyphics, and so
passed into yet another court. Here it was all black darkness, and so
lonely that I found my spirits sinking lower and lower with every step I
took. Reaching the centre of my court my guide stopped and bade me
pause. I did so, whereupon he also departed, but in what direction he
went I could not tell.
Had it been possible, I think at this stage of the proceedings I should
have left Pharos to his own devices, and have made my way out of the
ruins and back to the steamer without waste of time. Under the
circumstances I have narrated, however, I had no option but to remain
where I was, and in any case I doubt whether I should have had time to
make my escape, for the old man presently returned, this time with a
torch, and once more bade me follow him. I accordingly accompanied him
across the court, and among more pillars, to a small temple, which must
have been situated at some considerable distance from the pylon through
which we had entered the ruins.
Approaching the farther corner of this temple, he stooped and, so it
seemed to me, touched something with his hand. At any rate, I distinctly
heard the jar of iron on stone. Then a large block of masonry wheeled
round on its own length and disappeared into the earth, revealing a
cavity possibly four feet square at our feet. As soon as my eyes became
accustomed to the darkness I was able to detect a flight of steps
leading down into a dark vault below. These the old man descended, and
feeling certain that I was intended to accompany him, I followed his
example. The steps were longer than I expected them to be, and were
possibly some fifty in number. Reaching the bottom I found myself
standing in a subterranean hall. The roof or ceiling was supported by a
number of elegantly sculptured _papyrus-bud_ columns, while the walls
were covered with paintings, every one of which was in a perfect state
of preservation. For what purpose the hall had been used in bygone days
I could not, of course, tell, but that it had some connection with the
mysterious rites of the god Ammon was shown, not only by the frescoes,
but by the trouble which had been taken to conceal the entrance to the
place.
When we had reached the centre of the hall the old man turned and
addressed me.
"Stranger," he said in a voice as deep and resonant as the tolling of a
bell, "by reason of the share that has been allotted thee in the
vengeance of the gods, it has been decreed that thou shalt penetrate the
mysteries of this holy place, the like of which not one of thy race or
people has ever yet beheld. Fear not that evil will befall thee; thou
art in the hands of the Mighty Ones of Egypt. They will protect thee.
Follow me."