New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-28
THE CURSE OF VASARTAS.

among some rocks ana runs apouS IVuPlo ~
iIo. doyyn the river but he had told me he would
80 hack in time for tabled hote dinner AT /,
~ that now as the clock struck ana he had NOT
vet pnt in an appearance, began 10 1eel lt.ie
SnaaSv Perhaps he had met with some accldenu
a. had fallen among a marauding band OF ARABS
or had tramped by mistake on crocoulle Ylns
sleennc by the rivers edge. The mght was udrk;
Gov the new moon was mere half-hOoped line OI
III and as far ae | knew, Mr.. Blake had not
taken a lantern with him. - 80
had come 10 the end Of my cigar and was re-
living the question as to whether II would pe
snv use my going in the direction OF the ruins III
case anv miSchance had befallen him. When
heard his voice. from within the wlndow pehlhu
me exclaim eXcitedy: Montague, Montague
1 have found ,,o1
Then he stopped suddenly as he remembered
there might be other listeners besides myself
ANY Of those Arab devils about?' he WIS
No-no one replied. after taking, a turn up
and down the veranda TO satisfy myself In
Come in and shut the window IL saI Ter Live NO
said and he himself closed the door, hrst ih3
sure there was no one in the passage outSuo W
overhear his communication. ,.u;u,, his
Then he came close TO me, ana lowering lis
yoice said | have found tomb! 49,
u was 80 much taken aback at the nature oil lne
communication that did not at first uhuers'''nu
III, full significance of the remark - bo 70
have found tOmb-a royal tOmp, -
peated then he sank down on char as II 'u'i'
was more 10 be sad 49, .,, Nv RlolIe's
dearest wish was TO discover somesn! ,h far-away
10 Ine avnt lost for goodness knows how many
centuries. Ii. but mike
VI. &. dnis+e he was not taken mp wholly ana
soIe,v with his fad" 10 the exclusion Vi f ~
other interest in life He was the most $3.50 70
companion had ever met ana Gentleman "a item and
know was to love. lie was geh'It s az rlord
real GOOD fellow in the true sense vi uIf IN lin
II had been my good fortune 10 i It ON the
on board the Z. and o. steaeE ~ nace we were
vovase ont 10 Ale,a ndra, for when place We We
botb bound-I for pleasure or Slght,seells vi Ci
Iorging my knowledge Of men ana thhss anu ,,o mo
en- route for the interior, Wnere ne care friends
intend some excavations why we pecauc Ilo i.S
! i,novy NOT seeing that we had not many poihtS
IN common To begin with, Mr. Bake was d
widower Of fifty, with daughter AT
school in London. / was twenty years yuuiilsI &C.
cav careless without any particular OBJECT III ny
save that of making the best OF IT, VII. ,non
was learned in the lore OF the anclehlS Mneio'1
nv accent shmentS were distinctly moucIn'
ronId plav the banjo fairly, sing comic sQhg
and Tie an evening tie at the first trlaL WheiIeI
il is that on board ship people 1ralerHe lloIe Jun
under any other condition. oil h,r os omt Of the
English Channel. Mr. Blake and l had joined the
hands of friendship. IL: 80 .l,o lard
TO Mr. Blake Egypt was as lanlnar a. erv |ny NV
,f his birth so when he offered to become ny
lido and philosopher until the time came tOr MN
10 start on his expedition, felt that tne psSur ro
of NV trip was assured. agree WIN l9lh 4lou, S
that the beauty of a place doesn't depend SO muciI
an the brightness of its waters ana tle green VI
IT'S vcrdure as on the presence Oh 1rlehus-'ho
beloved of ones bosom. II, ts - &c
or course | went straight to work tor III IL
,rorl, and hard work too, to do" the hons-the
pyramids and the Sphinx and Memphis anu al.
tLatand AZ the end of q week had seen All tlal
was 10 he seen" the least interesting part DO
Mr. Blake remarked ,.l;
How ?" | asked, not quite UNDERSTANDING;
What about all the ancient spe1d4I ne ri ae
Piled Mn ne The Is Errpta G' ngs? It was not
taken out of the country, or we shoulu nav
traced it, 1t is buried, and for all we kn%" , Me
may be at this moment standing Oh perieo' in'i''
Of wealth ,,.. t.
Invomntariy glanced down as he spoke Out l
saw nothing save yellow sand ..,.,
When had done the place, ca D peg d no Ute lie
j. pr, tty much the same eVerywhere-We eau We
drink We smoke and we sleep only IN hot CLIMATES
variety is gwen TO sleep by the gahDois Vi 'ne
mosquitoes $500. .r,.
Mr.. Bake's expedition was not 10 start for some
weeks owing to foundations, he spent his lllhe
in pOttering about among runs III the heIghp43i-
hood of Cairo; spent II probably, too, since lhe
result was the finding OF royal tomb.
When after telling me OF his great good fortune,
he had recovered somewhat his composure ana h1d
swallowed some breakfast, for he LAD eaten noun
ing since morning, he proceeded TO relate the
manner of the discovery Of the tomb. lie had
come upon it quite by chance, by what indeed
might have proved an unhappy chance Tor INN;
In descending a wall of rock he had Slipped ana
fallen heavily TO the ground beneath. All NE was
conscious of at the moment was Snght clnklhg
noise as though stone knocked against an
other For some time he had lam senseleSs
stunned by the force OF the fall; then, IN the
cool evening breeze, he recovered and, AS he rose
10 his feet ind tried 10 recall the circumstances
of his accident, he remembered the slight, chnlI-
ing noise, and marVelled that fall III the SAND
should have been so heavy The particular spot
where he fell was hollow, caused by the WIND
having blown away the sand, and, as he glanced
down, he caught glimpse OF a niue DlJ OF dark
surface on which the sand lay sparseiy. In an
instant he was ON his knees and had laid bare
slab of stone about two feet square, in one
corner Of which was rudely cut dragon-hy, the
sign OF an ancient royal house. Unable to
move the stone unaided, he had deemed IL wlsest
10 hide il from view once more by covering IL
with sand, and had remained in the nelghborhood
until dusk, lest the Arabs should come on hIs
treasure.
But how do you know il is a tomb ?" | asked.
What elSe could il be?' he answered.
l really dldnt know, 50 | asked him what he
meant to do about il.
= am going TO sit and watch it all day to-
morrow, Tor fear the sand should be blown off it
again and the Arabs should spy it, | will show
you the spot and when 1t is dusk YOU Will bring
some EhShshmen and we'll open the tomb. There
Is 10 he q fete tomorrow night AT a village four
or I'VE miles OIL to which all the Arabs will 90, 50
shall not be observed Once thcse fellows
get WIND Ola tom0 they would murder us TO get
the amulets.'
IL is needless 10 relate how, in the puise of
artists, III order TO divert attention and TO ac-
count for our presence in one spot we watched
that hollow in the sand all through the hear Of
the day; or how, as the shadows of EVENING
deepened and the tail palms grew dim and H.,
distinct, and only here and there black plimmer
showed where the Nile pursued its course ba
tween fields Of rice and maize. % little hand ~
English workmen, bearing ropes and lanterns
crossed the black waters in track-boat and
crossed back again ere TWO hours had nassed
carrying in their midst long and very heavy,
oblect-the stone sarcophagus found in the tonb
The next day, IN the presence of several gentle
men interested in antiquarian research the sar-
cophagus was opened Ii contained the embalmed
body of woman IN perfect preservation She
was apparently in the prime of life, and her
thick. dark hair drawn down pltbar cid
confined at the ends with gold bands engraved
With dragon-fies, embematical of her ROYAL
lineage, reached almost 10 her feet. Her heavy
fold necklace, from which depended various
precious stones, was similarly engraved, and ON
the forefn2er Of the left hand she gold
ing, On which was the name Vasartas7 wrought
10 Strips of agate beaten into the metal The
same name appeared also cut in the stone inside
the nd of the sarcopbag gus. The linen wrapped
around tie mummy, although almost brown was