As Sergeant Quick finished speaking, the door opened again, and through
it appeared two very flurried and dishevelled policemen, one of whom
held, as far as possible from his person, the grizzly head of a mummy by
the long hair which still adhered to the skull.

"What do you mean by breaking into my rooms like this? Where's your
warrant?" asked the indignant Higgs in his high voice.

"There!" answered the first policeman, pointing to the sheet-wrapped
form on the table.

"And here!" added the second, holding up the awful head. "As in duty
bound, we ask explanation from that man of the secret conveyance of a
corpse through the open streets, whereon he assaults us with the same,
for which assault, pending investigation of the corpse, I arrest him.
Now, Guv'nor" (addressing Sergeant Quick), "will you come along with us
quietly, or must we take you?"

The Sergeant, who seemed to be inarticulate with wrath, made a dash for
the shrouded object on the table, with the intention, apparently, of
once more using it as a weapon of offence, and the policemen drew their
batons.

"Stop," said Orme, thrusting himself between the combatants, "are you
all mad? Do you know that this woman died about four thousand years
ago?"

"Oh, Lord!" said the policeman who held the head, addressing his
companion, "it must be one of them mummies what they dig up in the
British Museum. Seems pretty ancient and spicy, don't it?" and he