The Argosy, March 1907 — page 65: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

= - Mrs. Chittenden with the luckless bit of ee lace (which he had picked up during the mélée) he was graciously forgiven by Fitch and herself, but only on condition - that he would start on at once, leaving es that perilous village far behind before nightfall. This he readily assented to. On the second morning, anchor was cast off Ibrim, on the border of the Bis- hareen Desert. Scattering groups of | temples lie to the east, about two hours’ = journey by donkey- ride. None of the party save Miss Halpin had ever heard of these ruins or cared particularly to visit them. But that sentimental spinster averred that a “ gen- tleman friend” of hers had been at the ; Ibrim ruins three years before and had | scratched his name with a penknife di- rectly beneath the great bas-relief of the cat-god Bubastis, and when he heard that she was coming to Egypt had made her promise to visit the sacred spot and see if the name was still there. ‘It'll be so like home to see it,’”’ she Z pleaded; “and besides, it’ll be better - fun than sitting on deck and watching the sand go past.” i For this reason it is to be feared more than for the former, the party fell in with her wishes, and the expedition was arranged. Mrs. Chittenden did not care to go; neither did Barry; but Mr. Fitch loudly 3 declared that no American was going to be see more of Egypt than he or get more Be value for his money. So, his reluctant = satellites accompanied him. ; Mounted on ‘their decrepit little don- —* keys, and headed by Halil in his full + panoply of purple and gold, the Ameri- cans set forth, two donkey-boys follow- ee ing with big hampers of lunch. ig Over the desert they wound their dusty way, Madge Brant and old Mr. Gault in the van, close at Halil’s heels. “It’s queer,” said Madge, as she - glanced about at the knolls, ridges, and gullies of rock and sand amid which they rode—‘“‘it’s queer what false ideas one gets of the nature of a desert. At home I always fancied it a flat area of sand, but it is as rough as an Adirondack forest. I wonder if we will meet with any such adventures to-day as befell poor Mrs. Chittenden at Amelook?” ‘TI hardly think so,” replied the old ah + = ‘THEIR LAST HOPE. gentleman. ‘‘ There are too many of us. Besides, we men are all armed now. Seer He pulled a neat ‘little revolver from his hip-pocket. — “T never fired one of these things,” he went on, “ and I don’t exactly under- stand their mechanism, but a friend gave it to me when I left home, and it really affords me quite a feeling of see ws rambling group, half buried in shifting sand, and stretching brokenly for nearly a mile in area. After a perfunctory ex- amination of the first few the party gath- ered in the shade of a huge cornice for lunch. The meal over, they wandered idly about among the ruins until the hour should arrive for the return ride. Madge and Mr. Gault, in the course of their ramblings, came out upon a long avenue lined with broken pillars, fallen capitals, and partly buried monoliths. A hundred yards. ahead, and moving in the same direction, they descried Barry Clive, walking between his aunt and uncle. “ Mr. Fitch is evidently still resolved to see his money’s worth,” laughed _ Gault. ‘See how he drags along those two perspiring, bored protegés of his: Money must be very precious to them both to make them put up with such a man.’ He and Madge Joitered along on the shady side of the prehistoric highway, now and then pausing to admire some half-effaced carving or to avoid stum- bling over a fallen pillar. “I, for one, am saturated with ruins,” Mr. Gault was saying. “ After you've seen the first few you’ve seen all. I shall not be sorry to start back next week to civilization, a decent bed, and a bathtub.. I am getting too old for Here comes Halil! He must be round- ing up the party. Hello, Halil!” as the dragoman came alongside. ‘ Time to return to the dahabiyeh, eh? Vd no idea Miss Brant and I had walked so far. Why, we must have come almost a mile since we left the others.” The dragoman had passed on and was hailing Clive and his two companions. The three, at sound of his voice, turned and retraced their steps. comicbooks.com —