ne, the doctor emerged and
examined the revolvers and rifles, and finding that five cartridges had
been discharged, he knew there had been a struggle with me in which I
had been worsted. This caused them to hasten their efforts and make an
escape with the projectile as soon as possible. All the supplies
necessary to the batteries had been found intact in their places, and
the compressing of air with the repaired pump and the further storing of
food could be postponed till they were more free to do it.

At last the projectile lifted and worked; slowly it loosened the stones
of my floor above them; but when one stone was pushed aside they noticed
that the daylight did not come through the breach as it ought. They had
heard my cries, and as the gas came down on them, the doctor had slammed
the front port-hole, which was never wide open, and had thus saved
himself. Hotep was safely shut into the other compartment with the
fire-arms and ammunition.

The doctor now came down to the rear port-hole to speak to me.

"My plan is to escape now to the Gnomons, where we will leave Hotep in
possession with most of our fire-arms. You can give him some
instructions how to use them, so that he may defend himself. There we
can finish our stores of air and food." To this I assented, and said to
Hotep,--

"The Gnomons I give to thee, and all the land round about them, as a
reward for thy most valuable assistance. Also I put into thy charge all
my stores of wheat, to be distributed among the needy. Thou must husband
them to last yet four years more, and for thine own thou mayest keep one
measure in twenty. Take thou also a sword, a rifle, a revolver, and a
belt of cartridges. Mayhap, to thy right to rule they may add the power
to be a Pharaoh!"

I was interrupted by a noise below, as of some one opening the door of
the secret chamber. All the deadly gas lurked in that room now, and it
was certain death to whoever opened and entered! Yet if an alarm had
been raised it was there they would immediately go for the fire-arms. I
listened and heard faintly a voice of command, like that of Zaphnath,
saying, "Haste, get me the thunderers!" Then, as the door below creaked
open, I heard it louder: "The thunderers!" Next I heard many men in
violent fits of coughing; I heard some groan and fall; but who or how
many died by the purplish poison intended for me, I never knew.

It was but a moment later that hurried footsteps in the banquet-hall
were