The Last Egyptian

sides slope downward at a sharp angle on either side, affording little apparent foothold to one who might essay to climb the steeps. At the south end are pits wherein were found numbers of mummified c

dern village, as before explained, lies a mile or two from the Nile bank, in a fertile valley watered by bubbling springs. The inhabitants are mostly Arab

ich might have contained mummies at one time, but had been rifled of their contents ages ago. The few inscriptions remaining in these rock tombs indicated that they were the burial places of ordinary citizens of Qes, and such cavities as were observ

clustered a nest of wretched hovels, built partially of loose fragments of rock and partly of Nile mud baked in the sun. The place was called Fe

projected only a few feet beyond the cliff. A rude attempt on the part of the builders to make the front wall symmetrical was indicated by the fact that the stones bore

unoccupied and more or less ruined and neglected. Tradition said that Fedah, in spite of its modern Arabic name, was as old as ancient Qes, and there was no reason to doubt the statement. Its location

d proceeded calmly toward his dwelling. As he entered its one room, he paused to allow his ey

ell spasmodically, as if the hag breathed with great effort. Her eyes were closed and the scant, tousled locks of fine gray hair surrounding her face gave it a weird and witch-like e

m as an English girl of twenty-five. Her face was remarkably handsome from the standpoint of regularity of contour, but its absolute lack of expression would render it uninviting to a connoisseur of beauty. Her dark eyes were magnif

und her, drawing her close to his body. She neither resented the caress nor responded to it, but yield

ly, in the Coptic tongue, "is our Hata

nd gazed for an instant steadfastly upon her grandson. Her hands, which had been nervously clu

ht, Kāra!

but released the gi

You know that no more can be p

the last time. Be quick, Kāra!" Her voice died away in an odd gur

a dog might, was impressed by the

Coptic, and the girl aros

stopper of dull metal. Carrying it to Hatatcha, he knelt down, removed the stopper and placed the neck of the vase to her lips. The delicate, talon-li

the bedside and sat down upon the bench. A bowl containing some bits of bread stood near. He stooped and caught

he pupils of the man's eyes expanded like those of a cat, and he could follow{35} t

rden to him. He was, moreover, accustomed to be led by the strong old woman in all things, and she had been the provider during all the twenty-three years of his life. Kāra had been trained to think deeply upon many subjects, but here was one which had neve

id not know the story of Ahtka-Rā, and her escapades in London years ago were all unsuspected by them. Hatatcha only confided such thin

re the coins and jewels had come from, and if there were any{36} left. He would need some trifles of that sort when she was gone. And the matter of her f

ade him start. Hatatcha's big eyes were open an

arer," s

ss-legged near her head, bending over to catch he

lans of vengeance. You are my successor, and the inheritor of my treasures and my revenge and hates. The time is come when you must repay

he responded, calmly. "A

ned silen

shed all the joy and love from my heart, and left me desolate and broken. Like a spurned hind, I crept from the glare of palaces back to my mud hut, bearing my child in my arms, and here I mourned and suffered for years and found no comfort. Then the love that had destroyed my peace fell away, and in its place Set planted th

tcha, it is so," he ans

hing shall be forgotten when it is needed to assist you. I will explain all things while I have the str

ill of excitement pervading his entire being. The climax in his life had at last arrived, and

lly she would question{38} him, to be sure that he understood, and several names s

sign upon her naked breast, making him repeat after her a dreadful oath to

ll back and

k of light crept under the arch an

ouch of rushes, and beside her sat Kāra, his face imm

nking.