ing utterly absorbed in
watching the drama in progress upon the farther side of the gulf. After
a slight pause to recover his nerve or breath, Orme rose, and preceded
by Japhet, climbed up the bush-like rock till he reached the shaft
of the sphinx's tail. Here he turned and waved his hand to us,
then following the Mountaineer, walked, apparently with the utmost
confidence, along the curves of the tail to where it sprang from the
body of the idol. At this spot there was a little difficulty in climbing
over the smooth slope of rock on to the broad terrace-like back. Soon,
however, they surmounted it, and vanishing for a few seconds into
the hollow of the loins, which, of course, was a good many feet deep,
re-appeared moving toward the shoulders. Between these we could see
Higgs standing with his back toward us, utterly unconscious of all that
was passing behind him.

Passing Japhet, Oliver walked up to the Professor and touched him on
the arm. Higgs turned, stared at the pair for a moment, and then, in
his astonishment, or so we guessed, sat down plump upon the rock. They
pulled him to his feet, Orme pointing to the cliff behind, and evidently
explaining the situation and what must be done. Then followed a short
and animated talk. Through the glasses we could even see Higgs shaking
his head. He told them something, they came to a determination, for
now he turned, stepped forward a pace or two, and vanished, as I learnt
afterwards, to fetch my son, without whom he would not try to escape.

A while went by; it seemed an age, but really was under a minute. We
heard the sound of shouts. Higgs's white helmet reappeared, and then his
body, with two Fung guards clinging on to him. He yelled out in English
and the words reached us faintly:

"Save yourself! I'll hold these devils. Run, you infernal fool, run!"

Oliver hesitated, although the Mountaineer was pulling at him, till the
heads of more Fung appeared. Then, with a gesture of despair, he turned
and fled. First ran Oliver, then Japhet, whom he had outpaced, and after
them came a number of priests or guards, waving knives, while in the
background Higgs rolled on the rock with his captors.

The rest was very short. Orme slid down the rump of the idol on to the
tail, followed by the Mountaineer, and after them in single file came
three Fung, who apparently thought no more of the perilous nature of
their foothold than do the sheiks of the Egyptian pyramids when they
swarm