Impetuously he snatched out his own lamp and shone its beams about the weird apartment in which they found themselves--the so-called King's Chamber of the pyramid. Right and left leapt the searching rays, touching the ends of the wooden beams, which, practically fossilised by long contact with the rock, still survive in that sepulchral place. Above and below and all around he directed the light--upon the litter covering the rock floor, upon the blocks of the higher walls, upon the frowning roof. They were alone in the King's Chamber! CHAPTER XIX ANTHROPOMANCY "There is no one here!" Sime looked about the place excitedly. "Fortunately for us!" answered Dr. Cairn. He breathed rather heavily yet with his exertions, and, moreover, the air of the chamber was disgusting. But otherwise he was perfectly calm, although his face was pale and bathed in perspiration. "Make as little noise as possible." Sime, who, now that the place proved to be empty, began to cast off that dread which had possessed him in the passage-way, found something ominous in the words. Dr. Cairn, stepping carefully over the rubbish of the floor, advanced to the east corner of the chamber, waving his companion to follow. Side by side they stood there. "Do you notice that the abominable smell of the incense is more overpowering here than anywhere?" Sime nodded. "You are right. What does that mean?" Dr. Cairn directed the ray of light down behind a little mound of rubbish into a corner of the wall. "It means," he said, with a subdued expression of excitement, "that we have got to crawl in _there_!" Sime stifled an exclamation. One of the blocks of the bottom tier was missing, a fact which he had not detected before by reason of the presence of the mound of rubbish before the opening. "Silence again!" whispered Dr. Cairn. He lay down flat, and, without hesitation, crept into the gap. As his feet disappeared, Sime followed. Here it was possible to crawl upon hands and knees. The passage was formed of square stone blocks. It was but three yards or so in length; then it suddenly turned upward at a tremendous angle of about one in four. Square foot-holds were cut in the lower face. The smell of incense was almost unbearable. Dr. Cairn bent to Sime's ear. "Not a word, now," he said. "No light--pistol ready!" He began to mount. Sime, following, counted the steps. When they had mounted sixty he knew that they must have come close to the top of the original _mastabah_, and close to the first stage of the pyramid. Despite the shaft beneath, there was little danger of falling, for one could lean back against the wall while seeking for the foothold above. Dr. Cairn mounted very slowly, fearful of striking his head upon some obstacle. Then on the seventieth step, he found that he could thrust his foot forward and that no obstruction met his knee. They had reached a horizontal passage. Very softly he whispered back to Sime: "Take my hand. I have reached the top."