The Face of Isis by Cyril G Read online

  “A sistrum!” reiterated the savant. “If

  work excavating one of the mounds which the

  we don’t find anything else, our case is

  professor had selected. Courtland

  proved.” And he hopped up and down in his

  superintended the digging, while the professor

  excitement, while the Moors stood in a circle

  waddled from place to place, very much staring and muttering Arabic exclamations, excited and very much in the way. Nor was

  evidently convinced that El Tebib Sidi, as they his enthusiasm abated in the slightest as days

  called Wadsworth, had taken leave of his

  passed into weeks without anything more senses.

  valuable being found than rocks and sand.

  “But what is it?” asked Courtland.

  The workmen moved from one mound

  “Musical instrument! Fifth Dynasty!”

  to another, sinking a vertical well in the top of panted the professor. “Used in celebrating

  each to the level of the base, but without

  rites of the Goddess Isis!”

  results. Courtland was fast losing hope and

  How long the professor might have

  even the professor was becoming discouraged.

  continued his gyrations of delight will never

  Then, one day, came a discovery of such he known, for his attention and that of the unquestioned genuineness, that their spirits others was attracted by a purring sound were raised to the heights again.

  coming from the direction of the pass.

  There was one very large mound

  A moment later an airplane shot out

  which actually touched the beetling cliffs of

  from between the sides of the gorge and

  the Djibel el Sheetan. The exploration of this

  swooping gracefully downward, landed on the

  had been left until the last. The Moorish level surface near the camp.

  workmen were turning over the rocks at the

  The Moors had become too well

  top of the mound in preparation for digging,

  accustomed to having their soldiers attacked

  when Courtland’s eye caught the glint of by French aviators to display any emotion something metallic in the loose gravel save that of curiosity at the sight of the plane, underneath. In a moment he was on his hands

  but the two Americans were at a loss to

  and knees burrowing and he extracted a imagine what any pilot could be doing, flying peculiarly shaped object which he handed to

  across the Atlas Mountains. Could it be that

  the professor, who was jumping up and down

  the French authorities at Tangier had got wind

  with excitement and thumping the crown of

  of their expedition and had sent a plane to put his fez with his cane.

  a stop to any further excavations? That would

  The article which Courtland had found

  have been a bitter pill to swallow after their

  was apparently of solid gold, encrusted with

  recent find!

  the dirt of centuries. It consisted of a flat bar Courtland and the Professor hurried

  bent into the shape of an elongated horseshoe.

  down the slope, the latter still clasping his

  A handle was affixed to the narrow end and

  precious sistrum to his breast. Half way to

  there were five thin rods running cross-ways

  camp, they met the pilot, a tall, slender fellow

  The Face of Isis

  7

  with a little sandy moustache and a most woe-

  discovery to encourage us, we shall continue

  begone expression on his countenance.

  our excavations until we find it.”

  “Little bit of luck, what? Finding you

  Ainsley puffed at his cigar and looked

  chaps here. Forced landing, you know. Engine

  still more thoughtful.

  trouble, just as I got through the mountains.”

  “If I were you fellows, I wouldn’t

  “Darned lucky you didn’t have to land

  bother doing any more digging.” he drawled.

  up in the gorge,” remarked Courtland. “Come

  “You don’t need to if you don’t want to, you

  far?”

  know.”

  “Cairo. Trying to make a non-stop

  “What do you mean? Why don’t we

  flight to Tangier. That confounded valve need to?” cried the two explorers in a breath.

  settled my hash.”

  “Because I’ve seen the temple, you

  “You are a long way south of your

  know. Regular Egyptian, like the one at

  direct route, sir,” said the Professor.

  Philas,” replied the Englishman simply, quite

  “Yes, worse luck!” the pilot replied.

  unaware of the bomb he was exploding.

  “Big sandstorm over the Sahara. Had to turn

  “Where? Where?” cried the Professor.

  south or I shouldn’t have made it at all. You

  “Just over there,” replied Ainsley,

  fellows starting a mine of sorts, what?”

  pointing to the west.

  Courtland

  introduced

  himself

  and

  “But that’s the way we came!”

  Professor Wadsworth and explained that they

  sputtered the Professor. “There’s nothing over

  were archaeologists. Their visitor returned the that way except the Djibel el Sheetan and the

  compliment by giving his name as Roderick

  foothills.”

  Ainsley, pilot for a big English aviation

  “So that’s what they call it. Devil

  company. The explorers extended him a Mountain. Appropriate name, what? Bally cordial invitation to lunch.

  temple’s on top of it.”

  “By Jove! I shall be jolly glad to put

  “On top of the rock! How can there be

  on the old feedbag!” exclaimed Ainsley. a temple on top of the rock? We can see the

  “Expected to make the trip in five hours or

  whole of the pinnacle from here and there’s no

  less and didn’t carry any fodder.”

  sign of a temple!”

  “Saw it as I came over the pass,” said

  LATER, after a hearty meal and a good cigar,

  Ainsley. “Top’s hollow and the temple stands

  Ainsley began to display interest in the in the middle. Thought you chaps would know activities of the two Americans.

  all about it.”

  “So you’re archaeologists. Must be

  The Professor’s excitement was

  jolly interesting, hunting for dinosaur bones

  unbounded and Courtland was equally

  and fossils and what not!”

  astonished. No wonder they had found the

  The Professor explained the difference

  sistrum close to the foot of the pinnacle. Some between geology and archaeology, and priest had evidently dropped it from the proudly displayed the golden sistrum.

  parapet and had been unable to find it. The

  Ainsley fingered it and looked golden trinket had lain where it fell for over thoughtful.

  two thousand years. The mound at the foot of

  “So this doo-dad was used by priests,

  the tower probably represented the debris

  eh? Of course it would be lying close to the

  from the building on the summit.

  temple, wouldn’t it?”

  Professor Wadsworth was all for

  “That is what we hope,” said the rushing off to verify Ainsley’s astonishing Professor, “and with this remarkable discovery, but Courtland reminded him that


  Amazing Stories

  8

  their first duty as hosts was to assist the crack or ledge by which they might hope to aviator to repair the damage to his machine.

  worm their way up the sheer precipice, but

  Fortunately the trouble proved to be a small

  were obliged to confess that they could see no

  matter and before sunset repairs were effected.

  means by which they would be able to climb

  The Professor suggested that Mr. Ainsley even part of the distance to their goal.

  might take them up to the temple in his Courtland, who had considerable experience airplane, but the pilot pointed out the sheer

  in the art of mountaineering, decided that the

  impossibility of landing a plane on a space

  rock-tower was unclimbable.

  only about fifty feet in diameter, and the

  At last Courtland suggested that they

  archaeologist reluctantly abandoned the idea.

  should abandon their search for the present

  Courtland and the Professor got little

  and walk part way up the slopes of one of the

  sleep that night. The latter tossed and turned

  peaks adjoining the pass, in order, if possible, on his camp cot, his mind a whirl of joyful

  to get a glimpse of the hidden temple through

  anticipation of what the morrow might bring

  their glasses. They had walked about a mile

  forth. Courtland’s thoughts were equally from the base of the tower, when the wakeful but more practical. How could they

  Professor, happening to look back, was struck

  ever reach the aerial temple? By what means

  by a peculiar marking on the rock and called

  could they hope to scale those awful cliffs?

  Courtland’s attention to it.

  But Ainsley’s mind was free from

  “Yes. I see what you mean,” said

  either worry or anticipation. His beloved plane Courtland. “Dark line. Absolutely vertical.

  was repaired and he slept the sleep of the tired Runs from base to summit. Vein in the rock,

  aviator, while the others listened enviously to probably.”

  the even flow of his breathing.

  “I’m quite sure we should have noticed

  At the first peep of dawn they were up

  any such vein if it existed,” replied

  and eating breakfast. Ainsley shook hands and

  Wadsworth. “Let us go back. Who knows? It

  wished them luck with their explorations. He

  may be a crack we have overlooked. You see,

  clambered into the pilot’s seat and presently

  it terminates at the bottom just to the left of the roar of his engine echoed from the cliffs as the mound.”

  he taxied across the level ground and rose into They hurried back, but as they

  the clear air.

  approached the pinnacle, the dark line

  The plane swept in a wide circle gradually faded until it vanished completely.

  around the mysterious summit of the Djibel el

  A careful inspection at the place where the

  Sheetan and Ainsley waved his hand, line had been seen, failed to reveal any encouragingly as he set his course to the north.

  explanation of this peculiar phenomenon. At

  last Courtland suggested walking back to the

  spot where the mark was visible and

  CHAPTER III

  examining it through a telescope.

  The Hidden Temple

  At once the mystery was cleared away!

  The line consisted of a series of notches or

  steps at intervals of about twelve inches. The

  AS soon as the purr of the engine passed out

  upper side of these notches was sloped off

  of hearing, Courtland and Wadsworth started

  gradually to allow room for the leg and knee

  for a thorough examination of the rock of a person ascending them. This explained pinnacle with a view to its ascent. They their invisibility from below, for the steps circled it repeatedly, looking for the slightest blended into the rock when viewed from this

  The Face of Isis

  9

  position. A more careful inspection revealed

  clinging to the edges of these cursed, rough-

  the fact that the lowest step came within about hewn steps!

  twenty feet of the ground level. It was evident that a ladder had been used to start the ascent AN eternity passed. The steady reaching

  or that the ground had been lowered in the

  upward of hand and foot had become a mere

  course of centuries by the process of erosion.

  mechanical repetition, a treadmill over an

  The Professor was exultant. They had

  abyss. And then, he reached his hand for the

  only to build a short ladder, set it against the next hold and felt—nothing!

  rock, walk up the steps and the summit with

  The shock almost sent him flying into

  its ancient secrets was theirs.

  space. Then came the realization like a breath

  And this they actually did. Late that

  of Paradise, that he was at the summit. A

  night the ladder was completed. The following

  moment and he stood on a wide circular

  morning it was carried over to the Djibel el

  platform looking down into a depression like

  Sheetan and set against the rock at the point

  an artificial crater carved in the top of the

  they had marked. Wadsworth insisted that he

  pinnacle. And in the center of the cup was the

  should be the first to make the ascent, but

  temple, just as Ainsley had described it.

  Courtland finally succeeded in persuading the

  A few feet below him, Courtland

  old man that his youth and slender build gave

  discovered a huge boss of rock like the

  him the advantage, to say nothing of his capstan on a ship. To this he attached the end previous experience in Alpine climbing. So

  of his line and then, returning to the edge of

  Courtland it was who tied one end of a light

  the parapet, signaled for a heavier rope to be

  line to his belt and started up the ladder.

  coupled on. When this had been hauled up in

  Eight hundred feet. Eight hundred turn, the Professor tied the lower end around steps. It was the task of half an hour at the

  his waist and commenced the terrible ascent,

  most. And yet, if Courtland lives to be a

  while Courtland drew in the slack of the rope,

  thousand, he is never likely to forget the belaying it around the knob which was now horrors of that fearful climb! It was one thing serving for the first time in perhaps twenty

  to make some perilous ascent in Switzerland

  centuries, the purpose for which it was

  with a trusty guide ahead to hold the rope

  designed.

  secure in case of a slip. It was quite another

  What the professor lacked in physical

  matter to crawl up the face of this obelisk of

  strength he more than made up in stoutness of

  polished granite, where the slightest misstep

  heart, and it was not long before Courtland

  meant a sudden and awful death.

  saw his red fez appear over the edge of the

  As he got higher and higher, a sense of

  parapet and the two explorers, once more

  terrible loneliness oppressed him. What if he

  united, stood where no human foot had trod

  should tire before he reached the top? What if

  since the days
when Cleopatra’s navy fled in

  cramp should seize him? He could do nothing

  disorder, leaving her lover to his fate.

  but simply allow himself to fall; to fall

  The entire summit of the Djibel el

  hundreds of feet through the warm, life-giving

  Sheetan was hollowed out to a depth of forty

  sunlight to a horrible death on the cruel rocks or fifty feet, the sides being carved out in a

  below.

  series of steps which ran all the way round,

  Up! Up! Up! How heavy the rope was

  giving the effect of a miniature stadium, with

  becoming! Would its accumulated weight a diameter of a hundred feet. The floor of the finally pull him backwards from his holds?

  bowl was perfectly level and in the center of

  How his fingers ached with the effort of this circular platform stood the temple, a gem

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  10

  of Egyptian architecture in perfect there are no joints to see. This entire structure, preservation. The building was square, the steps, the pillars, the roof, the polished measuring about ten yards each way. The roof

  floor, all have been hewn out of the living

  of stone slabs was supported on four rows of

  rock. What modern achievement of

  exquisitely graceful columns. The floor was

  engineering skill can compare with this? To

  slightly raised above the general level and was what perfection must those ancient designers

  as smooth as glass.

  have carried their art to carve this gem of

  For a long time the two men stood

  architecture from the solid granite, when one

  spellbound. For Courtland this amazing error, no matter how slight, would have discovery was the climax of a great adventure.

  spoiled the whole?”

  The realization that he was looking upon a

  By a flight of three steps, they gained