a poor slave, a copper statue, you have before you a statue
of metal more precious than silver or gold, in a word, a statue worthy
of the granddaughter of Neptune."

[Footnote 11: Variot: _L'anthropologie galvanique_. Paris, 1890. (Note
by M. Leroux.)]

M. Le Mesge waved his arm. The black slaves seized the body. In a few
seconds, they slid the orichalch ghost into its painted wooden sheath.
That was set on end and slid into its niche, beside the niche where an
exactly similar sheath was labelled "Number 52."

Upon finishing their task, they retired without a word. A draught of
cold air from the door again made the flames of the copper torches
flicker and threw great shadows about us.

Morhange and I remained as motionless as the pale metal specters which
surrounded us. Suddenly I pulled myself together and staggered forward
to the niche beside that in which they just had laid the remains of
the English major. I looked for the label.

Supporting myself against the red marble wall, I read:

"Number 52. Captain Laurent Deligne. Born at Paris, July 22, 1861.
Died at Ahaggar, October 30, 1896."

"Captain Deligne!" murmured Morhange. "He left Colomb-Bechar in 1895
for Timmimoun and no more has been heard of him since then."

"Exactly," said M. Le Mesge, with a little nod of approval.

"Number 51," read Morhange with chattering teeth. "Colonel von
Wittman, born at Jena in 1855. Died at Ahaggar, May 1, 1896....
Colonel Wittman, the explorer of Kanem, who disappeared off Agades."

"Exactly," said M. Le Mesge again.

"Number 50," I read in my turn, steadying myself against the wall, so
as not to fall. "Marquis Alonzo d'Oliveira, born at Cadiz, February
21, 1868. Died at Ahaggar, February 1, 1896. Oliveira, who was going
to Araouan."

"Exactly," said M. Le Mesge again. "That Spaniard was one of the best
educated. I used to have interesting discussions with him on the exact
geographical position of the kingdom of Antee."

"Number 49," said Morhange in a tone scarcely more than a whisper.
"Lieutenant Woodhouse, born at Liverpool, September 16, 1870. Died at
Ahaggar, October 4, 1895."

"Hardly more than a child," said M. Le Mesge.

"Number 48," I said. "Lieutenant Louis de Maillefeu, born at Provins,
the...."

I did not finish. My voice choked.

Louis de Maillefeu, my best friend, the friend of my childhood and of
Saint-Cyr.... I looked at him and recognized him under the metallic
coating. Louis de Maillefeu!