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

! showed where the Nile pursued its course
between fields of rice and maize, q little
| band of English workmen, bearing ropes
| and lanterns crossed the black waters in
a track-bOat, and crossed back again ere
two hours had passed, carrying in their
midst long and very heavy object-the
stone sarcophagus found in the tomb.
/ The next day, in the presence of several
gentlemen interested in antiquarian re-
search, the sarcophagus was opened. 1t
contained the embalmed body of woman
in perfect preservation. She was appar-
emily in the prime of life, and her thick,
dark hair, drawn down on either side and
confined at the ends with gold bands en-
graved with dragon flies, emblematic of
her royal lineage. reached almost to her
feet. Her heavy gold necklace, from
which depended various precious stones,
was similarly engraved, and on the fore
finger of the left hand she wore a gold ring,
on which was engraved the name "Nasar-
tas." wrought in strips OF agate
beaten into the metal. The same
name appeared also cut in the
stone inside the lid of the sarcophagus.
/ The linen wrapped around the mummy,
although almost brown, was still quite
| good. About the left ankle there was
| rolled strip of parchment, confined by
| gold torque, which, however, was not so
/ tight but that the parchment might be I'M
rolled. Not doubling but that by this
\ parchment the identification, so to speak,
/ of the mummy could be effected, MIR.
/ Blake removed it carefully, but found, to
his surprise, that the writing it contained
was in a language totally unknown to him.
A native professor, learned in Arabic and
other eastern tongues, was likewise
unable to decipher it,
1T IS in a peculiar dialect" be said,
land ! doubt if any man can translate it
save one"
"And who is that one?" asked Mr.
Blake.
Ahmed Ben Amen, the seer, but he
lies nigh unto death at this moment
! Mr.. Blake showed this parchment to all
| the professors and experts in the neigh
/ borhood, but they all failed to understand
\ the hieroglyphics. Unless Ahmed Ben
! Amen recovered, therefore, there was no
/ chance.
Meantime what was to be done with
the mummy? 1t was an awkward kind
/ of possession, and hotel-keepers objected
/ TO it as being liable to attract robbers.
| Besides, Mr.. Blake daily expected to be
| sent on his expedition, so he determined
/ TO dispatch Nasartas to the British mu-
scum at once, and so get nd of his respon-
/ sibility. As the period OF my stay was at
/ an end, / undertook to look after the
! lady on the homeward Journey, though,
/ truth to tell it, didn't half like the idea I;
/ but, as fate would have it, luckily from
/ the mummy escort point of view, unluck-
/ lily from every other, two DAYS before my
| departure l was stricken down with fever.
/ OF course there was no knowing how long
/ it might be until | should recover, or if
] I'll i 4
/ cided that asartas should not wait for
/ me, but 60 by herself, protected in some
measure by heavy insurance.
! Mr.. Blake set himself to nurse me back
to health and strength, and a more tender
nurse never smoothed a sick mans pillow,
/ or helped by his presence TO lessen the
/ tedium OF weary hours. Fortunately, my
! illness was not serious, and ! had turned
| the corner before Mr.. Blake got his orders
to proceed up country, and, when the day
/ OF his departure came, was strong enough
4 to accompany him 4 few miles on his way.
/ In a little grove OF palm trees we parted,
/ and our parting was none the less manly
/ that there were tears in the eyes of one of
us-fOr Mr.. Blake bad been like father
/ to me. This parting, too, meant more
/ than clasping hands and that sad, sad
word Farewell" for, if behind us lay the
/ shadows of peace and friendship, and the
memory OF happy DAYS spent together, in
the vista OF the future lay what? We
/ knew not any more than we knew what
lay a thousand miles beyond in that
yellow sand stretching away before us out
OF sight. As | turned my face again
toward Cairo l felt the sense of having
lost something-lost it past all finding
/ and when | traversed once more the mar
row streets of the town | thought ] mad
never been in so dreary a place. ] re-
solved to leave England by the next
steamer.
On the eve of departure, three DAYS
after had taken leave of Mr.. Blake, what
was my establishment when / received a
letter from him, brought by messenger
who had ridden all night and all day in
order to reach me that evening. Still
more was | surprised at the contents of
the letter, which ran thus:
any Dear Harry" (he had taken to call
ing me Harry when l was ill: "You once
told me that il ever you could serve me
in any way you would do so gladly. Little
did / think that the time was at hand
when l should ask your service, not for
myself alone, but for my child, Llora.
For her sake, then, pray of you to re-
turn to England at once this may reach
you ID time for the next steamer. and
bring back Nasartas. This favor / ask OF
YOU is a great one, but l ask il
under a terrible necessity. Go and see
my Llora, and you will the more readily
believe how fearful is the thought
to me that she may be in danger, and
alas through me. At all costs bring back
| Nasartas, ere it may be too late, for We
cannot know how fate will reckon time,
or whether we may live day or year
Bring back Vesartas, and if l am not
here a word was erased) 'in Alexandra
to meet you will leave instructions for
YOU, which I beg of you. in the name of q
fathers love, to carry out have written
to my bankers to place $4,000 TO your
credit TO defray expenses connected with
the recovery of Nesartas.
''To save Lloras life, bring back Vasar.
tas ] implore you, and you will earn the
heartfelt gratitude of your true friend.
"JoHN BLAKE.
'P. S.-Llora is a boarder at Miss Rus
sells, Deyonshire house, Lower Norwood
Please see her and make sure that she is
well. J. B."
read this letter over and over again
and each time | read it became but the
more perplexed as to its meaning. With
what earnestness il besought me to bring
back Vasartasl Four times the request
was repeated, and always the safety OIL
Llora was pleaded. In what way could
the whereabouts Of the mummy affect
Llora's well-being nay, her life? 1t was
! n hopelaeQ aniopo Opca ~ cfruck ma