Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-03-20

they were out OF sight ahead of us. and
believed the vision to have been an
haIlucination Of sight and hearing, SO
did not mention the matter to Hafa,
and afterward / was glad that did
not
"All at once dark shape doomed out
Of the twilight. and just above it |
saw the dim ulster of the first star.
1.-The pyramidr' exclaimed.
Have spoken the truth, masterT
demanded Hatia proudly.
"'Yes. Hatia. Is there not camp
nearby where the expedition In charge
Of the excavations have their quar-
ters? | would speak with the great
man in charge. l nave letters of IN
PRODUCTION, and / would spend the
night in his camp
There was an instant's hesitation.
and then Hafia's voice came soft and
velvety through the semidarkness.
1.-THE camp of the learned men lies
half mile beyond the pyramid. 1t is
on high slope far above the sand
fieas.'
Never mind. All, some OF them
must be here now. There is a light
within the pyramid
"Afterward | learned that the light
was a small lantern carried up the out
side Of the editice to guide us on the
way.
Let us get off here and see IL Pro
fessor Georges is inside
bNN l., a - b.
assented Hafia eagerly, and he slipped
from his camel and commanded mine
to kneel In another instant 1 was on
the ground and stumbling down into
an excavation. at the end of which
was an oblong Of light 1t was the
into the pyramid.
"As l entered the passageway l put
my hands to my lips and uttered our
old college yell In order to apprise
| Georges of my arrival. What hap
pened afterward seems as dreamlike
as the shadowy caravan l saw in the
| desert.
Around a corner of the passageway
| a long brown arm shot out and extin-
| guished the swinging lantern that had
| lured me there. Then a score Of lean
fingers attacked me In the darkness.
robbed Of watch and money and what
ever else of value l possessed. But,
quick as lightning. my hand had
| snatched ut the revolver at my hip.
and | managed to free my right arm
and FIRE 1t among my enemies.
"The fash and the echoing report
threw the robbers into panic. The
wounded one yelled terrible curses
upon me unto the twentieth generation
| until distance silenced his voice.
81 CROPPED my way into the open air
and beneath the stars found my camel.
Hatia and his beast had disappeared.
/ wonder II any of you ever tried to
mount a camel when he was standing
| bumped before you and you didn't
know the password that would make
him drop on his calloused knees. Well.
l tried every way l could think Of to
make that camel kneel. l prayed to
/ him, and | swore in seven languages,
but he stood there in the moonlight,
with sulky, protruding lower lip and
| obstinate poise. Once / essayed to
climb up by the gorgeous trappings of
leather that served as harness. but he
| turned and snapped at me viciously.
II was quite in despair when sudden
/ 1y out of the shadow Of the pyramid
there came a single word hoarsely
whispered but quite audible, word OF
command that brought the camel to
his knees in a trice. l scrambled upon
his back, turned him about as he arose
to his height, and away we went over
the track we had come. | trusted en-
| tirely to the camel to take me back to
| Cairo, and we reached there just as
| day was dawning My camel chose
his own way, and we entered the city
by way of the citadel, and l inquired
of a soldier concerning the pyramid OF
| Naua, and told him of my adventure
! Of the previous night.
| HE laughed and assured me that
had never been within twenty miles or
Naua-that Hafia had deliberately led
/ me to a small tomb which was rem
| devious for a gang of robbers, and he
said that the shadowy caravan was
without doubt the villainous band who
had robbed me.
Your guide was Hafa, the albinop
he asked skeptically.
"I nodded assent.
"'Then 1t Is wonder that your
throat was not cut he said dryly and
turned his back. placed the matter in
the hands of the police, and toward
evening they returned my watch. but
the money had disappeared beyond re-
call
II was preparing for bed when
servant informed me that dragoman
awaited my coming in the veranda OF
the hotel. / suspected 1t was Hafia and
went down. There he was, his cloak
drawn closely about his face quite dis
guising his features and complexion.