ouched the hand and
moved it, the arm being something flexible as a live arm; though stiff
with long disuse, as are the arms of those faqueers which I have seen
in the Indees. There was, too, an added wonder that on this ancient
hand were no less than seven fingers, the same all being fine and long,
and of great beauty. Sooth to say, it made me shudder and my flesh
creep to touch that hand that had lain there undisturbed for so many
thousands of years, and yet was like unto living flesh. Underneath the
hand, as though guarded by it, lay a huge jewel of ruby; a great stone
of wondrous bigness, for the ruby is in the main a small jewel. This
one was of wondrous colour, being as of fine blood whereon the light
shineth. But its wonder lay not in its size or colour, though these
were, as I have said, of priceless rarity; but in that the light of it
shone from seven stars, each of seven points, as clearly as though the
stars were in reality there imprisoned. When that the hand was lifted,
the sight of that wondrous stone lying there struck me with a shock
almost to momentary paralysis. I stood gazing on it, as did those with
me, as though it were that faded head of the Gorgon Medusa with the
snakes in her hair, whose sight struck into stone those who beheld. So
strong was the feeling that I wanted to hurry away from the place. So,
too, those with me; therefore, taking this rare jewel, together with
certain amulets of strangeness and richness being wrought of
jewel-stones, I made haste to depart. I would have remained longer,
and made further research in the wrappings of the mummy, but that I
feared so to do. For it came to me all at once that I was in a desert
place, with strange men who were with me because they were not
over-scrupulous. That we were in a lone cavern of the dead, an hundred
feet above the ground, where none could find me were ill done to me,
nor would any ever seek. But in secret I determined that I would come
again, though with more secure following. Moreover, was I tempted to
seek further, as in examining the wrappings I saw many things of
strange import in that wondrous tomb; including a casket of eccentric
shape made of some strange stone, which methought might have contained
other jewels, inasmuch as it had secure lodgment in the great
sarcophagus itself. There was in the tomb also another coffer which,
though of rare proportion and adornment, was more simply shaped. It
was of ironstone of g