The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-08-28
The CURSE OF VASARTAS


among some rocks and ruins about a
couple of miles down the river, but he
had told me he would come back in time
for table dhote dinner at : O'Clock; so
that now. as the clock struck and he had
not put in an appearance, l began TO feel
a little uneasy. Perhaps he had met with
some accident or had fallen among n ma
rauding band OF Arabs, or had tramped
by mistake on a crocodile lying sleeping
by the rivers edge. The night was dark,
for the new moon was a mere half-hOoped
line OF silver, and, as far as l knew Mr..
Blake had not taken a lantern with him.
I had come to the end of my cigar, and
was revolving the question as to whether
IL would be any use OF my going in the
direction of the ruins in case any mis-
nance had befalen him, when | heard
his voice, from within the window behind
me, exclaim excitedly: Montague, Mon
tague, have found"
Then he stopped suddenly as ne remem-
bered there might be other listeners be-
sides myself.
ANY of those Arab devils about? ?" he
whispered.
Mono one" I replied, after taking a
turn up and down the veranda to satisfy
myself
Come in and shut the window; it's
safer" he said and he himself closed the
door. first making sure there was no one
IN the passage outside to overhear his
communication.
Then ne came close 10 me, and, lower
ing his voice, said, II have found atomb."
I was so much taken aback at the ma
ture OF the communication that | did not
ha sill efc -
the remark.
Il have found tomb-a royal tomb. j."
be repeated then he sank down on a chair
as If there was no more to be said.
| became interested, for l knew that
Mr.. Blake's dearest wish was to discover
something belonging to the hidden past,
something of the far-away glory of Egypt
lost Tor goodness knows how many CEN
turtles.
Mr.. Blake vas an archaeologist, but, IN
ike most "oiogists," ne was not taken up
wholly and solely with his "fad," to the
exclusion of every other interest in life.
He was the most agreeable companion l
had ever met, and a man whOm-to know
was to love. He was a gentleman and
real good fellow in the true sense of the
word. II had been my good fortune 10
fall In with him on board the z. and O.
steamer Egyptian on the voyage out TO
Alexandria, for which place we were both
bound-I for pleasure OF sightseeing or
eniarging nv knowledge of men and things,
and he en- route for the interior, where he
was 10 superintend some excavations.
Why we became friends ! know not, seeing
that we had not many points in common.
To begin with, Mr.. Blake was a widower
OF fifty. with a daughter at a boarding
school IN London. l was twenty years
younger-gay, careless, without any par
tieuar object in life save that of making
the best OF it. Mr.. Blake was learned in
the lore OF the ancients, whereas my ac-
compllshments were distinctly modern.
could pay the banjo fairly, sing a comic
song and tie an evening tie at the first
trial. Whether it IS that on board ship
people fraternize more than under any
other conditions OF life / cannot say; any,
how, before the Egyptian was out of the
English channel, Mr.. Blake and / had
Joined the hands OF friendship.
To Mr.. Blake Egypt was as familiar as
the land OF his birth, so when he offered
TO become my guide and philosopher until
the time came for him to start on his ex-
petition, ! felt that the pleasure of my
trip was assured. 1 agree with Tom Moore
that the beauty Of place doesD't depend
so much on the brightness of its waters
and the green OF its verdure, as on the
presence of friends-the beloved of ones
bosom.
OF course I went straight to work flor it
Is work. and hard work, too to do the
hons-the pyramids and the Sphinx and
Memphis and ali that-and at the end of
week l had seen all that was to be seen
the least interesting part" as Mr..
Blake remarked
"How2" / asked, not quite understand
ing.
what about all the ancient splendor ?"
he replied. ''Where Is it? Not lost
Where is all the wealth of the Egyptian
kings? It was not taken out of the coun-
try, or We should have traced it. 1t is
buried. and, for all we know, we may be
at this moment standing on perfect mine
Of wealth"
Involuntarily I glanced down as he
spoke, but | saw nothing save yellow sand.
When l had dome" the place, l began
10 take matters more easily. After all
said and done. life is pretty much the same
everywhere-we eat, we drink, we smoke
and We sleep-only in hot climates varie-
ty Is given to sleep by the gambols of the
mosquitoes.
Mr.. Blake's expedition was not to start
Tor some weeks, owing to foundations, so
be spent his time pottering about among
ruins IN the neighborhoOd of Cairo; spent
II probably, too, since the result was the
finding OF a ROYAL tomb
When, after telling me of his great good
fortune, be had recovered somewhat his
composure and had swallowed some
breakfast for he had eaten nothing since
morning, be proceeded to relate the man.
ner OF the discovery of the tomb. He had
come upon il quite by chance, bv what,
indeed, might have proved an unhappy
chance for him. In descending a wall of
rock, be had slipped and fallen heavily to
theground beneath. All he was conscious of
at the moment was slight blinking noise.
asthough one stone knocked against anoth-
or. For some time he had lain senseless.
stunned by the force of the fall then. in
the cool evening breeze, he recovered,
and, as be rose to his feet and tried to re-
call the circumstances of his accident. he
remembered the slight, clinking noise,
and marveled that a fall in the sand should
have been so heavy. The particular spot
where he fell was hollow, caused by the
wind having blown away IT, ld, and,
as he glanced down, - glimpse
Of little bit OF 49, hitch the
sand lay sparsn hi he was
on his kneeS slab OF
stone az in one
CO.. dragon
wal house.
led, he had
view once
u, and had