ble to crawl upon
hands and knees. The passage was formed of square stone blocks. It
was but three yards or so in length; then it suddenly turned upward
at a tremendous angle of about one in four. Square foot-holds were cut
in the lower face. The smell of incense was almost unbearable.

Dr. Cairn bent to Sime's ear.

"Not a word, now," he said. "No light--pistol ready!"

He began to mount. Sime, following, counted the steps. When they had
mounted sixty he knew that they must have come close to the top of the
original _mastabah_, and close to the first stage of the pyramid.
Despite the shaft beneath, there was little danger of falling, for one
could lean back against the wall while seeking for the foothold above.

Dr. Cairn mounted very slowly, fearful of striking his head upon some
obstacle. Then on the seventieth step, he found that he could thrust
his foot forward and that no obstruction met his knee. They had
reached a horizontal passage.

Very softly he whispered back to Sime:

"Take my hand. I have reached the top."

They entered the passage. The heavy, sickly sweet odour almost
overpowered them, but, grimly set upon their purpose, they, after one
moment of hesitancy, crept on.

A fitful light rose and fell ahead of them. It gleamed upon the polished
walls of the corridor in which they now found themselves--that
inexplicable light burning in a place which had known no light since the
dim ages of the early Pharaohs!

The events of that incredible night had afforded no such emotion as
this. This was the crowning wonder, and, in its dreadful mystery, the
crowning terror of Meydum.

When first that lambent light played upon the walls of the passage
both stopped, stricken motionless with fear and amazement. Sime, who
would have been prepared to swear that the Meydum Pyramid contained no
apartment other than the King's Chamber, now was past mere wonder,
past conjecture. But he could still fear. Dr. Cairn, although he had
anticipated this, temporarily also fell a victim to the supernatural
character of the phenomenon.

They advanced.

They looked into a square chamber of about the same size as the King's
Chamber. In fact, although they did not realise it until later, this
second apartment, no doubt was situated directly above the first.

The only light was that of a fire burning in a tripod, and by means of
this illumination, which rose and fell in a strange manner, it was
possible to perceive the details