In the daytime we pored over Champollion’s and Mr. Tankerville’s Egyptian grammar; and if at times I smiled indulgently at Hugh’s patience and ardent study of a language I believed to be dead, yet I tried to emulate him in my eagerness to master its many difficulties. We set each other daily tasks in conversation, and we each kept a diary written in hieroglyphic and cuneiform characters.
Before we reached Wady-Halfa, however, reason, as represented by my humble self, made a final compact with enthusiasm, as personified by Hugh.
“Look here, Girlie,” I said to him one evening, as we sat lazily smoking on the deck of the dahabijeh, “I am only too delighted to join you in any mad adventure upon this dark and interesting continent, and the Libyan desert is as good as any other place for me in which to spend six months in your company; at the same time, I am not sufficiently devoted to science to risk perishing of hunger and thirst in the midst of some terrible wilderness. Now, when Rholfs tried to do the journey which you and I propose to start on, he had to give it up because he found a line of inaccessible and shifting dunes right across his path in the desert.”
“He started from Beni-Adin, and Assuan, and…”
“I know. We start from a given point—the tomb of the defunct priest—and you are absolutely convinced that in a straight line due west from that tomb we shall find that the said line of inaccessible dunes is not inaccessible.”
“I am absolutely convinced that the Greek priest crossed them.”
“Very well; this is my point. If, having started from that tomb and travelled due west, we find that we cannot effect a crossing straight ahead, you must give me your solemn word of honour that you will not entertain any foolish idea of roaming about the desert in search of imaginary ways, which may after all have vanished, nor risk a miserable and inglorious death in the mazes of the arid immensity.”
He looked at me and smiled. I was half ashamed of my eagerness and pompous diction, for I had spoken very solemnly.
“I can safely promise you that, old chap, for I am sure we shall find the way.”
Hugh had already given me his views on the subject of taking attendants with us on the desert journey.