"Air-liner Empress with damaged engines crossing desert towards Cairo. Lat. 29-50 N., Long. 40-25 E. drifting W.S.W. Wireless deranged. SCORPIO."
"Piece of bad luck, sir!" remarked the commissioner's assistant at Cairo when he received the message.
"H'm! She carries the Indian mail, too," replied his chief.
"Yes, and a good deal more, sir."
"What else does she carry this trip besides passengers and mails?" asked the alert commissioner.
"That big loading of specie, sir, for the Bank of England. Nearly a ton of gold, I believe."
"Phew! And isn't the maharajah of somewhere or other coming on a state visit to the King also?"
"Yes, by Jove, so he is! We had a message this morning saying that he would travel by the Empress."
"Heaven help us if she comes down in the desert with that cargo. The Bedouins would soon make short work of it. The authorities rely too much upon the patrols for these long journeys," said the commissioner.
"We were asked to take particular care over her this trip. The Delhi patrols accompanied her part of the way, and she was all right up to mid-day, but she hasn't spoken to us since. I have sent out one or two messages and have had the patrols ready to go out and meet her, as soon as I heard again from her, giving her position, sir."