“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 Caesar, 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.