“How about the sacred crocodile and the serpents? My word, gentlemen, if you find the back door key of the Sphinx’ head, there’s a chance that a warm welcome is awaiting us.”

Charlie’s words met with approval from the others, but the Professor and Reuel said nothing. There was silence for a time, each man drawing at his pipe in silent meditation.

“Well, I’m only travelling for pleasure, so it matters not to me how the rest of you elect to shuffle off this mortal coil, I intend to get some fun out of this thing,” continued Charlie.

There was a shout of laughter from his companions.

“Pleasure!” cried one. “O Lord! You’ve come to the wrong place. This is business, solid business. If we get out with our skins it will be something to be thankful for.”

“Well,” said Reuel, rousing himself from a fit of abstraction, “I come out to do business and I have determined to see the matter through if all is well at home. We’ll prove whether there’s a hidden city or not before we leave Africa.”

The Professor grasped his hand in gratitude, and then silence fell upon the group. The curtains of the tent were thrown back. Bright fell the moonlight on the sandy plain, the Nile, the indistinct ruins of Meroe, hiding all imperfections by its magic fingers. It was a wonderful sight to see the full moon looking down on the ruins of centuries. The weird light increased, the shadows lengthened and silence fell on the group, broken only by the low tones of Professor Stone as he told in broken sentences the story of ancient Ethiopia.

“For three thousand years the world has been mainly indebted for its advancement to the Romans, Greeks, Hebrews, Germans and Anglo-Saxons; but it was otherwise in the first years. Babylon and Egypt—Nimrod and Mizraim—both descendants of Ham—led the way, and acted as the pioneers of mankind in the untrodden fields of knowledge. The Ethiopians, therefore, manifested great superiority over all the nations among whom they dwelt, and their name became illustrious throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.

“The father of this distinguished race was Cush, the grandson of Noah, an Ethiopian.

“Old Chaldea, between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, was the first home of the Cushites. Nimrod, Ham’s grandson, founded Babylon. The Babylonians early developed the energy of mind which made their country the first abode of civilization. Canals covered the land, serving the purposes of traffic, defense and irrigation. Lakes were dug and stored with water, dykes built along the banks of rivers to fertilize the land, and it is not surprising to learn that from the earliest times Babylonia was crowded with populous cities. This grandeur was brought about by Nimrod the Ethiopian.”

“Great Scott!” cried Charlie, “you don’t mean to tell me that all this was done by niggers?”