The Last Egyptian

tone in the rear wall, passing through into the mountain cavern. Then, replacing the stone, he made his way alo

carefully dusted the interior. The forty days were en

g green stone, with polished flat surfaces. On one of t

oglyphic cartouch

the emerald that Hatatcha had promised the dwarf Sebbet in payment for embalmin

amp and went to the mummy of Ahtka-Rā, sliding back the slab of malachit

cted choice specimens of emeralds, sapphires, diamonds and rubies, filling with them several small leathern sacks he had brought concealed upon his p

n found a quantity of pearls of a size and quality that rendered them almost peerless among the treasures of the world. The jar contained a full quart, and Kāra took

sing here and there a jewel that appealed to his fancy, and adding to his selection a number of exquisite{97} ornaments of wrought gold; but at last he

t distinguished it from any of the thousands of other gems that literally covered the mummy case of the great Egyptian; for at first this odd jewel had a dark steely lustre, which changed while Kāra's eyes

so, a golden bust of Isis that stood upon the mummy case toppled and fell to the pavement, and from a hollow underneath the bust rolled a small manuscript of p

had been his former dwelling-place. All was silent and dark. A mild bray from the blind Nikko's{98} donkey was occas

he locked securely. Then he reclined upon the rushes and was about to compose him

st royal one!"

sat

ndmother?"

ill be delighted. It is a skilful and almost perfect piec

its back was the form of a swaddled mummy, which wa

ebbet, in an eager tone, as he lifted t

look upon my grandmother at my leisure. The ni

the lamp, which he had relighted, while S

the embalmer, in a low, grave voice.{99} "Osiris be praised that at

on was shining and sent some of its ray

ight,"

nking deeply. Finally he s

my old fri

he prince, brusquely. "She tru

not wish to be mummified

lau

all the generations? You made a mummy of my great-grandmother and of my gran

ding it. You are indulging in life, with no thought of the tomb and the resurrection. It is the new order of things, the trend of a civilization that forgets its dead and

imal out into the night. Kāra stood still, and in

s done, he felt in the dusk for the mummy of Hatatcha, and lifting it in his arms, bore it through

to the board, and by exercising great care succeeded in placing the body in its coffin without breaking or injuring it. Next he removed the outer strips of linen that swathed the head unt

and humble them in the eyes of all men; that not one shall finally escape my vengeance, and that all shall know in the end that it was Hatatcha who destroyed them. So be it. By āmen-Rā, t

upon the breast of the mummy and repeated the mystic sign he had used at her death-

* *

a veritable mine; but had Tadros realized that Nephthys was so fat and flabby, it would have required much more than a roll of papyrus to induce him to part with her. True, he had managed, while her master was asleep, to stealt

s to demand his attention. Prince Kāra announced his intention of taking the next steamer

a guide unequaled for knowledge, intelligence and fidelity in all the land! But take me away f

u are an unprincipled scoundrel. You lie easily and without hesitation; you rob me cheerfully every day that you are in my employ; you have n

shame-faced, then hu

," he cried, earnestly

f you like; I do not mind. But if you serve me faithfully in some delicate matters that will soon require my attention, I will make you the richest dragoman alive, so that

ought it

ly mine. Very well; command and I will obey. Are you not a pr

m means death. Others may bribe you with an equal amount of money, but I

my prince!" declared T

which the Van der Veens had already recut, the wonderful pearls which

llowed him, hum

ype="