MATTER OF DYNASTIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 17 August 1907, Page 3

MATTER OF DYNASTIES.

"It win iu the third Dvuastv," said the Professor, bringing down 'his list will a Ilium)) of linalitv. "I'iirdou Hie," said Papa, witli his mouth screwed up, "tin- twelfth." "Well, lor sheer mulish obstinacy, Carmiejfiiell" "And for pun; opinionated effrontery, liolightlv!" 1 lie two old gentlemen glnred lit each oilier across « nwple of yards of table, and what would have happened nexi i don't know, but at this juncture I tacttoll.v interposed. ) liey were o;sc;o;Mng some iaeomprelaasible change i.f Jav,- incidental to ancient Kgypt. "Why dont you leok ii up/-' i -est,.,! soothingly. -rm sure . i'vo I'lonty of bonks belli iTii you on the subject."

".dy deal- Sophy." said i'apa, "ivo've limited up three hundred and twenty references at least. I'lilnrlunately it's i»st one of those points where li ks Tail. No. the only chance would he to show Collffht.lv the actual inonuirent and let him 'wade through the hieroglyphics for himself." , "Well." i suggested boldly, "go and -:r 111 o monument, then—T would. r.»aV both pkntv of time and plenty lof money, and anyhow it's tu.lter than joiiarrclinc; about it after a lifelong : friendship." ! _ ''»!•» reached up ami pinched my i'c'et:. '•'i ,ai re an iui|>erl incut, titinv.' 1 jhc oli-ic-i-eil. elmeklin.;: "a! the same |!;'"e. li's mil aliogelher a bad notion; Mi. flv

At Jirsfc the Professor snorted—than ho relaxed a little and discovered tliat it was fifteen years since he'd been at Luxor. "And, anyway, we've never seen the tombs together, Carmichael," he mused: "D'you remember when we'd planned a trip there you spoiled it all by marrying?" "Hotter late than never," said I'upa— I though whether he referred to his mar- | liage or liu' trip to the tombs 1 cannot undertake to say —"11111 I'd have to tako Sophy here—you wouldn'L mind that? I always lose tilings when she's not with I me."

The Professor snorted again; then lie :-aid, "she'll be dull—women always are, without shops." lint Papa annihilated him at once, "Sophy's not that sort," he said, "she wouldn't be my daughter if she were.'" "Well," said the Professor, feeling

1 vaguely for the hat. which, in the interests of a fast-cooling lunch he ought to have taken up an hour ago, "111 think il over." And think if over he did, to such

good purpose that less than a month irom the date of their squabble found us all three drilling up the Nile- in a dahabiyoh. Rather to my surprise I found that 1 was enjoying the trip immensely. The waters were so blue, tiic ui. )-l sands so yellow, anil the palm trees and people so picturesque, that 1 scarcely noticed that two red-hot Egyptologists were poor company lor a

girt of twenty-two. We'd renewed a very pleasant acquaintance in Cairo—quite liv chance. He was a friend of the Professor's—Stansiield by name—and though his knowledge of ancient Egypt made Papa and the Professor wince, he was awfully interesting in other ways.

lle'd fought at Atbara, and knew all that was worth knowing about the natives, and [ must say 1 wasn't at all sorry to meet him again at Memphis, and to find that he was going as far as Luxor in his own dahabiyeli. He, stopped, as we did, at all the places of interest en route, and it came to pass that he would sometimes join lus on our tours of inspection to tombs and monuments, and he was really very useful, as well as pleasant, for lie kepi the guides from cheating us. and found quid donkey s for Papa and the Professor, and so relieved me of much anxiety.

After Assiut we somehow missed each other —and it was very stupid of me, I know, but I felt quite dull without him. Papa and the Professor seemed suddenly to In-come a heavier responsibility than usual, and when the Professor lost his only pair of blue glasses, fell off his donkey, and grazed his nose, and Papa got into a t rightfully involved argument with an irritable stranger in one of the temples—something about the Ptolemies—l could have sat down and I cried.

The nearer we got to Luxor the more excited did the old gentlemen become, for it was in one of the less frequented tombs of that ancient city that they were to find the information in search of which we'd started the trip. Two days more and it would bo seen whether I'apa and the twelfth Dynasty were to emerge triumphant, or whether the i I'rofessor and the third would be proud victors.

When we did finally arrive, it happened to be quite late in the afternoon, but they wouldn't hear of waiting till the next morning, but set off at once armed to the eyes with magnesium wire and candles. Having reached their destination, they sent away the donkeys and donkey-boys, observing that it would be pleasant to travel home in the cool of the evening. I don't care for the iusides of tombs myself—they're too stuffy for my taste, and hieroglyphics always give me a headache, so I found a shady spot not far oil' under a ruined wall, put my parasol, opened a Tauchnitz, and, quite contrary to my intention, fell heavily asleep. When I awoke—which I did with a start—the sun had disappeared in the west, and the sky was opalescent with its dying glory. I walked across to the entrance of the tomb, intent on taking my two companions away by main force before night fell. IV"my surprise the wooden door which closed the entrance was locked.

At first I thought they'd gone back to the hotel and forgotten my existence —they were quite capable of it. I was just turning away when a curious noise coming from within the tomb arrested my attention—it was faint and stifled, but it was distinctly someone calling for help. Horror of Horrors! It Hashed across me in a second. The keeper of tin* tomb—a wizened Bedouin in a dirty white burnous—finding he wasn't wanted, had followed my example and gone to sice)) just outside the door —I remembered seeing him. He had probably awoke suddenly, as 1 had done, and, finding it late and imagining that the two tourists bad gone, had locked up and gone back to lus village. 1 couldn't speak a word of Arabic—there were nothing but native houses within appreciable distance, and not a [soul in sight, and it was getting darker I every minute. 1 must find my way hack to the liotel somehow or other and get help. Alter shouting hopefully at my incarcerated companions, I was plunging oil, 1 scarcely knew in what direction, when, to my unutterable joy, I perceived a belated tourist riding his donkey slowly towards me. 1 ran, shouting and waving my arms, and then, joy of joys, the belated tourist resolved itself into Mr .Stansfield who had arrived at Luxor the day before.

1 explained matters to him with much energy and he slashed his donkey and, without waiting to discuss things, tore off in the direction of the nearest native village, which was about a quarter of a mile away, fn what seemed ail interminable time, he came back with the wizened Bedouin, and after a good deal of gesture and conversation the door was opened, and l'apa and the Professor shot out, looking desperately frightened, and appallingly dusty. The Bedouin was furious with them, and they were furious with the Bedouin. They (had been in absolute darkness for over an hour —and Mi. y had yelled HemI selves hoarse and their throats were full

of grit. Mr Stansfield smoothed them all down listened respectfully to the Professor's expressed intention of writing to Lord Cromer that evening, and gave the Beidouin extra baksheesh when no one was

looking. We took them back to the hotel without delay, but it wasn't till late that evening that 1 suddenly remembered to ask them about the Dynasties. The Professor looked foolish, and Baid something about the game not lieing worth the candle, by which 1 imagined that l'apa had vanquished him and been proved correct. But Papa looked more foolish still, and said after all that chronology at its best must necessarily be misleading. "But you found the right inscription?" I asked anxiouslv.

"Oh! ves." said the Professor, "it was | deeply interesting, only ,J •"Only." finished Papa, "it happened to \*• the sixth Dynasty, you see, so we really might as well have stayed at , home." lint they took the shouts of laughter frcm Mr Stansfieid and me vary nniably. and even condescended to join in them; and they iinisii«d up by shaking hands warmly •••' • h other and then linished up b\ ; ; hands warmly with him, as ;i ni.atie 01' gratitude for th'dr timely rescue. The next day, as We wandered back to our hotel after a desert, ramble, Mr Stnn.tficUl told me that though he was nt an Egyptologist he'd . discovered *ometliing that was common to all Dynasties, and when T asked him with a pu7.7.led look what he mean! he was kind enough to explain. t found it wanted a deal of explanation—.<■> much --0 that though we've been marired for nearly two years he's boon explaining practically ever since.