not say. But Ali Mohammed is positive that it came from the
opening in the pyramid. It was not apparently in disgust, but in
sheer, stark horror, that the whole crowd of them turned tail and ran.
They never stopped and never looked back until they came to Rekka on
the railway."

A short silence followed. Then:

"That was last night?" questioned Cairn.

His father nodded.

"The man came in by the first train from Wasta," he said, "and we have
not a moment to spare!"

Sime stared at him.

"I don't understand--"

"I have a mission," said Dr. Cairn quietly. "It is to run to earth, to
stamp out, as I would stamp out a pestilence, a certain _thing_--I
cannot call it a man--Antony Ferrara. I believe, Sime, that you are at
one with me in this matter?"

Sime drummed his fingers upon the table, frowning thoughtfully, and
looking from one to the other of his companions under his lowered
brows.

"With my own eyes," he said, "I have seen something of this secret
drama which has brought you, Dr. Cairn, to Egypt; and, up to a point,
I agree with you regarding Antony Ferrara. You have lost all trace of
him?"

"Since leaving Port Said," said Dr. Cairn, "I have seen and heard
nothing of him; but Lady Lashmore, who was an intimate--and an
innocent victim, God help her--of Ferrara in London, after staying at
the Semiramis in Cairo for one day, departed. Where did she go?"

"What has Lady Lashmore to do with the matter?" asked Sime.

"If what I fear be true--" replied Dr. Cairn. "But I anticipate. At
the moment it is enough for me that, unless my information be at
fault, Lady Lashmore yesterday left Cairo by the Luxor train at 8.30."

Robert Cairn looked in a puzzled way at his father.

"What do you suspect, sir?" he said.

"I suspect that she went no further than Wasta," replied Dr. Cairn.

"Still I do not understand," declared Sime.

"You may understand later," was the answer. "We must not waste a
moment. You Egyptologists think that Egypt has little or nothing to
teach you; the Pyramid of Meydum lost interest directly you learnt
that apparently it contained no treasure. How, little you know what it
_really_ contained, Sime! Mariette did not suspect; Sir Gaston Maspero
does not suspect! The late Sir Michael Ferrara and I once camped by
the Pyramid of Meydum, as you have camped there, and we made a
discovery--"

"Well?" said Sime, with growing interest.

"It is a point upon which my lips are sealed, but--do you be