y
the long hair which still adhered to the skull.

"What do you mean by breaking into my rooms like this? Where's your
warrant?" asked the indignant Higgs in his high voice.

"There!" answered the first policeman, pointing to the sheet-wrapped
form on the table.

"And here!" added the second, holding up the awful head. "As in duty
bound, we ask explanation from that man of the secret conveyance of a
corpse through the open streets, whereon he assaults us with the same,
for which assault, pending investigation of the corpse, I arrest him.
Now, Guv'nor" (addressing Sergeant Quick), "will you come along with us
quietly, or must we take you?"

The Sergeant, who seemed to be inarticulate with wrath, made a dash for
the shrouded object on the table, with the intention, apparently, of
once more using it as a weapon of offence, and the policemen drew their
batons.

"Stop," said Orme, thrusting himself between the combatants, "are you
all mad? Do you know that this woman died about four thousand years
ago?"

"Oh, Lord!" said the policeman who held the head, addressing his
companion, "it must be one of them mummies what they dig up in the
British Museum. Seems pretty ancient and spicy, don't it?" and he
sniffed at the head, then set it down upon the table.

Explanations followed, and after the wounded dignity of the two officers
of the Force had been soothed with sundry glasses of port wine and a
written list of the names of all concerned, including that of the mummy,
they departed.

"You take my advice, bobbies," I heard the indignant Sergeant declaim
outside the door, "and don't you believe things is always what they
seem. A party ain't necessarily drunk because he rolls about and falls
down in the street; he may be mad, or 'ungry, or epileptic, and a body
ain't always a body jest because it's dead and cold and stiff. Why, men,
as you've seen, it may be a mummy, which is quite a different thing. If
I was to put on that blue coat of yours, would that make me a policeman?
Good heavens! I should hope not, for the sake of the Army to which I
still belong, being in the Reserve. What you bobbies need is to study
human nature and cultivate observation, which will learn you the
difference between a new-laid corpse and a mummy, and many other
things. Now you lay my words to heart, and you'll both of you rise to
superintendents, instead of running in daily 'drunks' until you retire
on a pension. Good-night."

Peace having be