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Page 102
"Umph--I should say you'd one donkey already in your
party--careering around the desert with a little girl like this," he
vouchsafed, and Arlee's eyes widened at his brusque nod at her. She
was staring about her now with a curious interest, for all her
aching tiredness, gazing wonderingly at the dazzling white walls
with their strange and brilliant paintings. She saw they were in a
long, deep chamber, from which other openings led to unimagined
deeps.
"I guess you never were in a place like this before?" Burroughs
inquired, and she shook her head dumbly, feeling suddenly too spent
for words.
"Can she get a rest here?" said Billy anxiously. "We've had the
devil of a ride."
"The place is all hers," returned Burroughs. "I'll send you some
food and cold cream--you mustn't wash that sunburn, you know, or
you'll be a sorry girl to-morrow--and then you can rest as long as
you like. How much of a hurry are you in?" he added to Billy.
"Well, we want to take a train to Luxor to-night. I suppose Girgeh's
the next station?"
"You suppose? You _are_ at sea--where did you start from, anyway?"
But hastily Burroughs sped from that inquisitive question. "Balliana
is your next station," he reported. "You've all the time you want,
and I'll take you over myself. Now make yourself as comfortable as
you can," he added to Arlee, handing her a big jar of cold cream and
lugging forward an armful of rugs. "I'll be back with some food in a
jiffy."
"You're very kind," Arlee spoke stanchly, but as soon as the two men
stepped from the tomb, she seemed to wilt down into the rugs and lay
there, too tired to stir.
Outside Burroughs blew sharply on a whistle, and from the mouth of
another cave a file of black boys in ragged robes made a straggling
appearance. Burroughs gave orders which resulted in a kindling of
fire and the opening of boxes, and then he walked back to where
Billy was surveying the weary camels. At a distance, like an
equestrian statue, the watching horseman was standing. Burroughs
stared hard at the distant Nubian, then stared harder at Billy.
"This is wonderful luck," Billy said to him, very soberly. "I didn't
think of you as nearer than Thebes."
"We just heard of some fresh finds here, so I'm combing over the
tombs.... But you--it's none of my business, Billy, but what in hell
are you doing racing over Egypt with a ten-year old kid?"
"Ten-year-old--Great C�sar, man, that's a _real girl_! She's _grown
up_! She's old enough to vote--or nearly."
Burroughs stared harder than ever.
Then, "I shouldn't call that an extenuating circumstance," he
mentioned wryly.
"Extenuating nothing! Look here, let me----"
"You needn't tell me anything, you know," Burroughs suggested in
great indifference.
"Oh, shut up!" Billy spoke with deep disgust. "You've got to help us
out of this and then forget the whole business." He paused a moment;
then, "Miss Beecher made the mistake of taking a rash ride with me.
She was traveling alone, to meet some friends, to Luxor--and the
indiscretion is entirely mine, you understand. I got her into it.
And then, as I said, a Turkish fellow, that had been making himself
objectionable by following her, got his men out after us and chased
us down here. Her trunks have gone on to Luxor where those friends
are, and we have to find some presentable wraps for her and get her
to the first train. _Verstehen_?"
"Grasped--and forgotten," said his friend laconically. Just for an
instant his sleepy gaze touched Billy's rugged face, then fell
casually away. "I suppose any comments that occur to me are
superfluous?" he pleasantly observed.
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