“Here, I want to see what’s inside that middle part,” said Briscoe. “I propose that I have a rope round my waist, and that I climb in, and you lower me down till I holloa out.”
“And I propose,” said Sir Humphrey, “that we leave that till another day. Let’s go down to the next terrace.”
“At your orders, sir,” said the American quietly. “I can wait.”
The opening leading to the next terrace was sought for after the last cells had been examined, and when discovered it was found to contain nothing whatever but the crumbling dust of ages and the traces left by birds; while, upon descending to this last terrace but one, they saw that the construction was precisely the same as that of the terrace they had just left—the central part being pierced only with windows, doored cells being on either side.
“I feel more and more that I want to see what’s inside there,” said Briscoe.
“Well, we’ll have plenty of time to do so some other day, for we are not going to move away from this place just yet,” said Brace merrily. “Wait till tomorrow, and we’ll go in together. I fancy that we shall find it is a temple, and full of mummies.”
“Like as not,” said Briscoe; “and if it is we shall find no end of interesting things wrapped up with them, I should say. I daresay these people did like the Egyptians used to do.”
“Now,” said Sir Humphrey, as the last cell was examined, “one more terrace, and we shall have done all but this centre, and I propose to leave that till to-morrow.”
“No,” cried Brace and Briscoe, in a breath.
“I want to sleep to-night,” said the latter, “and I can’t with this mystery on my brain.”