Sime, his breath whistling sibilantly between his clenched teeth, hauled himself through the low passage, with incredible speed. The two worked their way arduously, up the long slope. They saw the blue sky above them....
"Something like a huge bat," said Robert Cairn, "crawled out upon the first stage. We both fired—"
Dr. Cairn raised his hand. He lay exhausted at the foot of the mound.
"He had lighted the incense," he replied, "and was reciting the secret ritual. I cannot explain. But your shots were wasted. We came too late—"
"Lady Lashmore—"
"Until the Pyramid of Méydûm is pulled down, stone by stone, the world will never know her fate! Sime and I have looked in at the gate of hell! Only the hand of God plucked us back! Look!"
He pointed to Sime. He lay, pallid, with closed eyes—and his hair was abundantly streaked with white!