denly he let out a pleased chuckle. He had the solution.

"Are you lonely, little cat?" he asked. "Would you like company?"

Scotty got it instantly. He patted Rick on the shoulder. "That's the old
Brant brain, boy. I'll duck out and distract the guard."

Rick moved on, inspecting jugs until he saw Scotty engage the guard in
conversation. His pal gradually turned as he talked, until the guard's
back was toward Rick. It was the work of only a moment to slip the cat
from his pocket and push it out of sight behind the jug that partially
screened the museum cat.

He smiled to himself. From the looks of the museum, it was highly
unlikely that the cat ever would be noticed, even if it stood there
forever. If one of the Egyptologists ever did happen to see it, there
would be a new puzzle to solve. Which dynasty invented plastics?

[Illustration]

He walked to where Scotty was busy with the guard. The officer's
understanding of English was about zero, and Scotty's knowledge of
Arabic was slightly less, so they were getting nowhere.

When he saw Rick, Scotty stopped trying. He grinned and put out his
hand. The guard grinned back and clasped Scotty's hand, with obvious
relief that the struggle to communicate was over. He waved cordially as
the boys went on their way.

"It is a distinct privilege to make such an outstanding contribution to
Egyptian culture," Rick said. He was really relieved. Being unfamiliar
with Cairo, they were apt to walk into an unexpected situation that
might have resulted in loss of the cat. There would be no reason for
anyone to suspect the cat's hiding place now, because no one except
Scotty knew that he had carried it out of the hotel.

There was much to see, and the boys took their time, spending over an
hour in the section devoted to the relics of Tut-Ankh-Amon, the boy
Pharaoh who had died at about the age of eighteen. His tomb had been
found intact, one of the few that had escaped the desert thieves.
Priceless objects had been found, including the King's death mask of
painted gold. It was one of the most beautiful objects of art the boys
had ever seen.

Rick noted that at least one guard was always within easy reach of them,
and that several guards patrolled the area. The area itself could be
fenced off by steel grillwork. He agreed thoroughly with the
precautions. The sheer weight of gold would be worth a Pharaoh's ransom,
even if melted down. In their present form, Tut's treasures were b