on our way.

"That night as we camped, one of the men only returned, saying that a
lion of the desert had killed his companion after that they had buried
the dead man in a deep sand without the valley, and had covered the
spot where he lay with many great rocks, so that jackals or other
preying beasts might not dig him up again as is their wont.

"Later, in the light of the fire round which the men sat or lay, I saw
him exhibit to his fellows something white which they seemed to regard
with special awe and reverence. So I drew near silently, and saw that
it was none other than the white hand of the mummy which had lain
protecting the Jewel in the great sarcophagus. I heard the Bedouin tell
how he had found it on the body of him who had fallen from the cliff.
There was no mistaking it, for there were the seven fingers which I had
noted before. This man must have wrenched it off the dead body whilst
his chief and I were otherwise engaged; and from the awe of the others
I doubted not that he had hoped to use it as an Amulet, or charm.
Whereas if powers it had, they were not for him who had taken it from
the dead; since his death followed hard upon his theft. Already his
Amulet had had an awesome baptism; for the wrist of the dead hand was
stained with red as though it had been dipped in recent blood.

"That night I was in certain fear lest there should be some violence
done to me; for if the poor dead hand was so valued as a charm, what
must be the worth in such wise of the rare Jewel which it had guarded.
Though only the chief knew of it, my doubt was perhaps even greater;
for he could so order matters as to have me at his mercy when he would.
I guarded myself, therefore, with wakefulness so well as I could,
determined that at my earliest opportunity I should leave this party,
and complete my journeying home, first to the Nile bank, and then down
its course to Alexandria; with other guides who knew not what strange
matters I had with me.

"At last there came over me a disposition of sleep, so potent that I
felt it would be resistless. Fearing attack, or that being searched in
my sleep the Bedouin might find the Star Jewel which he had seen me
place with others in my dress, I took it out unobserved and held it in
my hand. It seemed to give back the light of the flickering fire and
the light of the stars--for there was no moon--with equal fidelity; and
I could note that on its reverse it was graven deeply with certa