n, to find many more such jewels, and also
much fine gold, the pure gold of Ethiopia. Allah has had hidden
treasures laid up in the desert for such of His favoured children as
require them."

The words came curiously to Michael's ears, for he had in his
subconscious mind anticipated them. Yet his material mind regarded
them as fantastic imagination due to the man's abnormal condition. The
unpolished jewel had probably been given to him by a devout Moslem, who
imagined that he had derived some benefit from a visit which he had
paid to the saint. His subconscious mind pressed the question:

Had this poor creature, dressed in rags, whose famished body had fallen
in the sands, exhausted by his perpetual mortification of the flesh,
found Akhnaton's buried treasure? Had he resisted the gold and
precious jewels which he had found there? Had he only carried away
this one crimson amethyst to prove to Michael that his theory was
correct? Was it a beautiful link in the long chain of ordained events,
an act of the divine law?

The idea seemed incredible. Yet the saint had spoken simply and
sincerely, as if he never doubted but that Allah, in His all-seeing
mercy, had provided this mine of wealth for the use of His favoured.

Was this gem which the saint had carried in his ear an actual and
tangible proof of the treasure he was seeking? Had the saint actually
seen and touched the wealth of gold and the jewels which Akhnaton's
hands had hidden in the hills near his tomb? Others besides Michael,
students of Egyptology, had treasured the idea that the heretic King,
knowing that his days were numbered, and that when he was dead
everything in his fair city would be stolen and desecrated, taken to
Thebes and there turned into wealth for the gods of Amon, had hid from
his enemies his private hoard of jewels and gold.

A glorious excitement overwhelmed Michael. His thoughts travelled on
the wings of light. But he must be practical; he must determine how it
was best to question the saint, to gather from him the most helpful
information on the subject. It would be no easy matter, for it would
be unwise to express any marked curiosity about the hidden treasure or
to show his personal desire to find it.

With great self-control he concealed his intense interest and
excitement. For the present it was best to let the saint's words about
the treasure pass unquestioned. Very tactfully and with gentleness he
persuaded him to ke