stupid reminiscence of a collision. In a word, they did him good, and
he reached the point of his narration all the more speedily.

"As I was saying," he broke in rapidly, "the expedition met with
disaster by sea. It was equally unfortunate on land. The commander
built a small encampment, and sent for assistance the only seaworthy
vessel left to him. He waited six months, but no help came. Then he
determined to march inland--to strike a bold course for the Nile--but
he was soon compelled to entrench himself against the attacks of
hostile tribes. The probability is that the Sabaeans had interests on
the western shores of the Red Sea as well as in Arabia. Indeed, the
Abyssinians hold the belief to this day that their kings are descended
from a son of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. However that may be,
Aelius Gallus buried his treasure, threw aside all useless impediments,
and, like the daring soldier he was, decided in favor of attack. He
fought his way for twenty marches, but was finally overthrown, with all
his men, by a Nubian clan. The Romans were slain without mercy. Their
conquerors knew nothing of the gold and jewels hidden in the desert
three hundred miles distant, and that marvelous hoard, gathered from
Persia and India by generations of traders, has lain there for nearly
two thousand years."

This time he was sure he had riveted the attention of his hearers. They
would have been dull, indeed, if their wits were not stirred by the
possibilities underlying that last sentence. Royson, of course, jumped
to conclusions which the others were slow to reach. But Stump was not
backward in summing up the facts in his own way.

"Am I right in supposin' that you know where this stuff is hid, Mr. von
Kerber?" he asked, his small eyes twinkling under the strain of