he
influence of Grecian art in its graceful lines. It always reminded Kit of
Indian pottery down among the Zunis and Mexicans.

"What does the inscription say?" Kit leaned forward anxiously.

"It merely traces the origin of King Amenotaph to the god Thoth," said the
Dean, thoughtfully; "that is, the Egyptian Hermes, or Mercury, as we know
him, and it is extremely vague, being a curious mixture of the Coptic and
the ancient Aramaic."

"But what does it say?" asked Kit again.

The Dean followed the curious markings on the urn with his finger-tip,
bending forward and peering over the rims of his tortoise-shell glasses.

"It says, 'Amenotaph, born of Thoth, shall reign in wisdom. Kings shall
serve at his footstool. Ra shall shine upon him. He shall lie in peace,
encompassed by Ra.'"

"Is that all?"

"That is all," sighed the Dean. "It seems merely a laudatory sentiment."

"Who was Ra?" asked Kit, curiously, running her hand around the top of the
urn.

"The Sun god. His symbol was the circle. You see it here."

Kit repeated again, slowly:

"'He shall lie in peace, encompassed by Ra,' That means surrounded by Ra,
doesn't it, Uncle Cassius?" She picked up the um in both hands and shook
it close to her ear.

"My dear child, do be careful," cried the Dean; "it is priceless."

But Kit put it under one arm as though it had been a milk pail and tapped
around the inside with her knuckles, listening.

"That's a perfectly good hollow jug," she said, solemnly. "Just you tap
it, and listen, uncle. I'll bet a cookie they've hidden something inside
the outside and that Ra has guarded it all these years."

"Just a moment, just a moment, my dear," exclaimed the Dean, smiling like
a happy boy. "You've given me an idea. This may be a cryptogram, or an
ideographic cypher. Just a moment, now; don't speak to me."

He sat down at the desk and figured laboriously for nearly twenty minutes,
working out the inscription in cypher, while Kit stared at him
delightedly. After all, it was rather gratifying, she thought, to have
somebody in the family who could take a little remark made thousands of
years ago in old Egypt and make sense out of it to-day. She waited
patiently until he had finished. His hands were trembling as he reached
for the urn.

"The circle," he repeated, "the circle. 'Ra in his circle shall guard
Amenotaph.' The secret lies in the circle, Kit. Do you suppose it could
mean the rim of the urn?"

Kit knelt beside