had come out of the Ark. Now then, sir, just you tell me this. What
was King Solomon?"

"King of Israel, of course."

"I don't mean that, sir. Warn't he a Jew?"

"Of course: a descendant of Abraham."

"Well, that's what that old chap is, sir."

"Stuff!" said Dean.

"Ah, you may call it stuff, sir; but see where we found him, in this old
cave. He's been there for ages and ages, and he got so old at last that
he crawled in there to die, but found he couldn't die a bit. He's been
going on keeping just alive for nobody knows how long; and when an old
man gets as old as that he has got past wanting to eat and drink. He
just goes on living; and it's my belief, as I said afore, that he's one
of them as set up those walls and dug the gold and melted it for King
Solomon's ships to take away. Did you ever hear of the wandering Jew,
sir?"

"Yes, Dan. Of course."

"Well, sir, that's 'im."

"We did find a curiosity, then," said Mark merrily.

"Oh, bother!" said Dean. "Here, Dan, you had better leave history
alone. I shouldn't be at all surprised, though, if the animated fossil
has lived as long as old Parr."

"Old Parr, sir? You mean him as made the Life Pills?"

"No, he doesn't," said Mark, laughing. "He was an old fellow who lived
to about a hundred and fifty."

"A hundred and fifty, sir! Why, that's nothing! Why, look at
'Thusalem; he lived close upon a thousand years. Well, if a man could
live to one thousand years, why couldn't he live to three or four, or
five, if you come to that? I don't say as this 'ere old fellow is quite
so old, but he's the oldest chap I ever see except the mummies, and
that's what this chap might be, only he's just got life enough in him to
move, and they arn't."

"Well, that will do, Dan," said Mark. "But I am sorry you didn't find
the poor old fellow after all."

The boys related their conversation with Dan to Sir James and the
doctor, the former laughing heartily at the little sailor's belief.

"I suppose," said Sir James, "the poor old fellow must have summoned up
strength enough to crawl away."

"I don't think that was possible," said the doctor. "He could not have
stirred without help."

"But he had no help," said Sir James.

"I don't know," said the doctor quietly.

"What do you mean?" said Sir James; and the boys listened in surprise.

"I mean this, sir," said the doctor. "We have found that these ruins
were well known to Mak and the pigmy."

"Of