it. They brought away a
lot o' stuff from there, which they looked on as sacred. All that's left
is the mummy and the ankh. Is that possible?"

"Possible," returned Mr. Wallace, "but hardly probable. They might have
run across one of the extreme southern Egyptian cities, and indeed that
would be the only logical explanation of the presence of these things so
far west. Yes, the tradition must be true. It's a strange bit of
prehistoric African history you've run into, Mac."

"It is that," rejoined the other. "Well, for a year I've been tryin' to
make up a party to carry off that ivory an' that gold ankh. I got hold
o' Tom Reynolds at Cairo, an' put it up to him. He called me a plain
fool. I found McConnell in London. He laughed at the yarn. I tried to
find you, but ye'd vanished around Tripoli. So at last I came down to
tackle the job alone.

"When I struck your party, I knew right off that wi' the laddies along
ye'd never tackle it. Man, I was fair desperate! I determined to lead ye
off to the edge o' the pigmy country, where we are now, an' then put it
up to ye. There ye are, Wallace. Will ye come in wi' me an' try it? The
pigmies won't hurt me, mind."

Mr. Wallace stared at the scarabs. Burt stole a glance at his chum, and
the two waited in breathless interest, not daring to urge the project.
At length Mr. Wallace sighed.

"You've tempted me, Mac, tempted me more than you know! I'd like nothing
better than to make a dash for that place with you--not only for the
treasure, but for the discoveries we could make. But with the boys here
it is impossible. I am responsible for them, and I dare not go off and
leave them in this country. If you'd told me this back up the river I'd
have left them at the trading station and made a dash in with you."

"Oh, uncle!" burst out Burt, dismayed. "Ain't it perfectly safe? Take
us! Let's all go! Cap'n Mac says they won't hurt him; he's a kind o'
god, an' he can fix it so's we'll all--"

"No," broke in his uncle decisively. "I refuse to take the risk, Burt.
No use, lad. That's final. You'll have to trust to my judgment in this
affair."

"Ye're right," nodded Montenay dejectedly. "I can't blame ye, Wallace.
But do ye understand? Ye won't hold the compass business against me--"

Mr. Wallace sprang to his feet and held out his hand.

"Nonsense! Shake, old chap, and forget it!" And the two clasped hands
silently, while the boys gave a shout of delight.

"I knew it!" cried Burt j