the days of my life-第99章

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　trying　to　sling　another　anchor　into　its　place。　There　it　hung　over　the　bow；　bumping　against　the　side　of　the　ship。　By　this　time　the　Lascars　seemed　to　be　practically　useless；　and　the　first　officer　was　obliged　to　slide　down　the　chain　and　sit　on　the　fluke　of　the　anchor；　shouting　directions。　It　was　a　strange　sight　to　see　this　plucky　young　gentleman　swinging　about　there　over　the　deep。　He　was　—　and　I　trust　still　is　—　a　man　of　whom　the　country　might　be　proud；　but　I　have　long　forgotten　his　name。　In　the　end　we　crawled　into　Marseilles　at　three　knots　the　hour；　where　some　of　the　passengers　left　the　ship；　one　of　them　explaining；　for　the　fort　of　the　rest　of　us；　that　he　had　the　strongest　presentiments　that　she　was　going　to　sink。
Our　next　adventure　was　a　sandstorm　blowing　from　the　coast　of　Africa　which　turned　the　day　to　darkness　and　covered　the　decks　with　a　kind　of　mud。　Then　suddenly　the　vessel　was　put　about；　and　it　was　discovered　that　the　soundings　showed　that　we　were　unfortably　near　the　coast　of　Crete。　As　the　dear　old　captain；　who　had　been　much　cut　about　by　a　sea　that　knocked　him　down　on　the　bridge；　remarked；　“he　knew　what　was　behind　him　and　did　not　know　what　was　before”；　also　that　“where　he　had　once　been　he　could　go　again。”　Subsequently　our　fore　well…deck　filled　three　times　to　the　bulwarks；　shipping　seas　in　the　most　unaccountable　manner。
However；　we　came　to　Port　Said　at　length；　and　got　ashore　at　about　midnight　as　best　we　could。　Never　was　I　more　glad　to　find　myself　on　land　again。
I　enjoyed　that　trip　in　Egypt　very　much。　The　place　has　a　strange　fascination　for　me；　and　if　I　could　afford　it　I　would　go　there　every　year。　On　this　my　second　visit　we　went　as　far　as　the　wonderful　rock…temple　of　Abu　Simbel；　near　the　Second　Cataract　of　the　Nile。　Also　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　be　with　Mr。　Carter；　then　the　local　custodian　of　antiquities　at　Luxor；　when　we　visited　the　tomb　of　Queen　Nefer…tari；　which；　with　the　exception　of　the　discover；　who；　I　think；　was　Professor　Scaparelli；　we　were；　I　believe；　the　first　white　men　to　enter。
It　was　wonderful　to　see　those　paintings　of　her　late　Majesty　as　fresh　as　the　day　that　the　artist　left　them。　In　one　of　them；　I　remember；　she　is　represented　playing　chess。　The　tomb　had　been　robbed　a　couple　of　thousand　years　or　so　ago。　When　the　ancient　thief　broke　in　it　had　recently　been　flooded　by　a　rain…storm；　and　there　on　the　walls　were　the　marks　of　his　hand　printed　on　the　paint　which　then　was　wet。　Also　a　hermit　bee　had　built　its　nest　upon　the　roof　—　two　thousand　or　so　of　years　ago！　The　sarcophagus　had　been　broken　up　for　its　costly　granite；　which　doubtless　was　worked　into　statues　by　some　old…world　sculptor；　and　the　body　of　the　beautiful　favourite　queen　of　Rameses　destroyed。　Some　bones　lay　about　in　the　tomb…chamber；　probably　those　of　the　funeral　offerings；　and　among　them　ushapti　figures；　laid　there　to　serve　her　Majesty　in　the　other　world。
I　wrote　a　series　of　articles　for　the　Daily　Mail　about　these　Egyptian　experiences；　which　have　never　been　republished；　for　such　newspaper　matter　must　needs　be　very　scrappy。　In　one　of　these；　however；　I　dwelt　upon　the　wholesale　robbery　of　the　ancient　Egyptian　tombs　and　the　consequent　desecration　of　the　dead　who　lie　therein。　It　does　indeed　seem　wrong　that　people　with　whom　it　was　the　first　article　of　religion　that　their　mortal　remains　should　lie　undisturbed　until　the　Day　of　Resurrection　should　be　haled　forth；　stripped　and　broken　up；　or　sold　to　museums　and　tourists。　How　should　we　like　our　own　bodies　to　be　treated　in　such　a　fashion；　or　to　be　left　lying；　as　I　have　often　see　those　of　the　Egyptians；　naked　and　unsightly　on　the　sand　at　the　mouths　of　the　holy　sepulchres　which　with　toil　and　cost　they　had　prepared　for　themselves　in　their　life…days？　If　one　puts　the　question　to　those　engaged　in　excavation；　the　answer　is　a　shrug　of　the　shoulders　and　a　remark　to　the　effect　that　they　died　a　long　while　ago。　But　what　is　time　to　the　dead？　To　them；　waking　or　sleeping；　ten　thousand　years　and　a　nap　after　dinner　must　be　one　and　the　same　thing。　I　have　tried　to　emphasise　this　point　in　a　little　story　that　I　have　recently　written　under　the　title　of　“Smith　and　the　Pharaohs。”
Now　I　must　dwell　no　more　on　Egypt　with　all　its　history　and　problems；　which；　whenever　I　can　find　time；　it　is　my　greatest　recreation　to　study。　Truly　its　old　inhabitants　were　a　mysterious　and　fascinating　folk　and；　across　the　gulf　of　ages　—　largely；　it　must　be　admitted；　through　these　very　excavations　—　they　have　e　very　near　to　us　again。　I　confess　I　know　more　of　her　kings；　her　queens；　and　her　social　conditions　than　I　do　of　those　of　early　England。
From　Egypt　we　went　to　Naples　and　from　Naples　to　the　south　of　Spain；　which　I　now　visited　for　the　first　time　in　preparation　for　a　tale　which　I　wrote　afterwards　and　named　“Fair　Margaret。”
At　Granada　we　saw　that　wondrous　building；　the　Alhambra；　and　in　the　cathedral　the　tomb　of　Ferdinand　and　Isabella　the　Catholic。　I　descended　into　a　vault　and　was　shown　the　coffins　of　these　great　people；　also　those　of　Philip　le　Bel　and　his　wife　Joanna。　Readers　of　Prescott　will　remember　that　the　man　Joanna　insisted　upon　opening　the　coffin　of　her　husband　after　he　had　been　some　while　dead。　I　procured　a　candle　and　examined　it；　and　there　I　could　see　the　line　where　the　lead　had　been　cut　through　and　soldered　together　again。
Of　all　the　buildings　that　I　saw　upon　this　journey　I　think　the　mosque　at　Cordova；　with　its　marvellous　shrine　and　its　forest　of　pillars　of　many…coloured　marbles；　struck　me　as　the　most　impressive。　The　great　cathedral　at　Seville；　however；　with　its　vast　cold　spaces　runs　it　hard　in　majesty。
On　my　return　to　England　I　wrote　“The　Way　of　the　Spirit；”　an　Anglo…Egyptian　book　which　is　dedicated　to　Kipling；　and　one　that　interested　him　very　much。　Indeed　he　and　I　hunted　out　the　title　together　in　the　Bible；　as　that　of　“Renunciation；”　by　which　it　was　first　called；　did　not　please　him。　Or　perhaps　this　had　been　used　before。　I　was　glad　to　receive　many　letters　from　strangers　thanking　me　for　it。
In　July　1904　there　happened　to　me　a　very　extraordinary　incident。　The　story　is　contained　in　a　letter　from　me　which　appeared　in　The　Times　for　July　21；　1904；　together　with　letters　from　various　other　persons　testifying　to　the　facts　of　the　case。　These　letters　and　other　matter　were　included　in　the　Journal　of　the　Society　for　Psychical　Research　for　October　1904；　from　which　I　make　short　extracts　relating　the　facts。　Should　any　one　wish　to　study　it　in　detail；　with　the　corroborating　letters；　they　are　referred　to　the　number　of　the　Society’s　Journal。
On　the　night　of　Saturday；　July　9；　I　went　to　bed　about　12。30；　and　suffered　from　what　I　took　to　be　a　nightmare。　I　was　awakened　by　my　wife’s　voice　calling　to　me　from　her　own　bed　upon　the　other　side　of　the　room。　I　dreamed　that　a　black　retriever　dog；　a　most　amiable　and　intelligent　beast　named　Bob；　which　was　the　property　of　my　eldest　daughter；　was　lying　on　its　side　among　brushwood；　or　rough　growth　of　some　sort；　by　water。　In　my　vision　the　dog　was　trying　to　speak　to　me　in　words；　and；　failing；　transmitted　to　my　mind　in　an　undefined　fashion　the　knowledge　that　it　was　dying。　Then　everything　vanished；　and　I　woke　to　hear　my　wife　asking　me　why　on　earth　I　was　making　those　horrible　and　weird　noises。　I　replied　that　I　had　had　a　nightmare　about　a　fearful　struggle；　and　that　I　had　dreamed　that　old　Bob　was　in　a　dreadful　way；　and　was　trying　to　talk　to　me　and　to　tell　me　about　it。
On　the　Sunday　morning　Mrs。　Rider　Haggard　told　the　tale　at　breakfast；　and　I　repeated　my　story　in　a　few　words。
Thinking　that　the　whole　thing　was　nothing　more　than　a　disagreeable　dream；　I　made　no　inquiries　about　the　dog　and　never　learned　even　that　it　was　missing　until　that　Sunday　night；　when　my　little　girl；　who　was　in　the　habit　of　feeding　it；　told　me　so。　At　breakfast…time；　I　may　add；　nobody　knew　that　it　was　gone；　as　it　had　been　seen　late　on　the　previous　evening。　Then　I　remembered　my　dream；　and　the　following　day　inquiries　were　set　on　foot。
To　be　brief；　on　the　morning　of　Thursday；　the　14th；　my　servant；　Charles　Bedingfield；　and　I　discovered　the　body　of　the　dog　floating　in　the　Waveney　against　a　weir　about　a　mile　and　a　quarter　away。
On　Friday；　the　15th；　I　was　going　into　Bungay　when　at　the　level　crossing　on　the　Bungay　road　I　was　hailed　by　two　plate…layers；　who　are　named