“Who is that?” asked the captain quickly.
“Richard Sturdy,” was the answer.
CHAPTER X
In Great Danger
There was a gasp from the members of the party at Zeta Phalos’ words, and Don bounded to his feet.
“My father!” he cried.
“What makes you think my brother knew anything about this?” asked the captain, with as much agitation as he ever permitted himself to show.
“Mr. Sturdy and I were firm friends when he was here on his first exploring expedition,” replied Phalos. “I admired him because of his fine intellect; and then, too, his passion for research along the same lines as my own drew us together. Many a time he has been a guest in my home, and, seated right on this balcony, we have discussed the things we had in common. More than once we had spoken of Ras-Ameses and the mystery concerning his burial place. I had at that time made my discovery of the inscription, but was keeping it a safely guarded secret.
“It happened that we were once both at the Valley of the Kings at the same time, though with different parties. One day, while riding along at the foot of the cliff on which I had discovered the inscription, a piece of paper fluttered down from the rock. I wondered where it could have come from. I picked it up and found that it bore creases in it that resembled hieroglyphics. I knew that they formed part of the inscription. You can imagine something of my surprise and consternation at the thought that perhaps some one else was the sharer of my secret.
“I had a pair of powerful glasses with me and unslung them and focused them upon the rock. I could distinctly see other bits of paper on various portions of the inscription. Then I understood, and, although I was chagrined, I was filled with admiration for some one’s ingenuity.
“The man, whoever it was, had approached the matter from the top of the cliff. He had wet broad sheets of paper and lowered them from the top with a flat board behind them so as to press them against the inscription. The letters made creases in the wet paper. As soon as the paper was dry, he had drawn it up and probably filled in the creases with ink or pencil. Thus he would eventually have a complete copy of the inscription, and could decipher it at his leisure.”