"We went in the afternoon, and for half a franc an Arab climbed up the statue and struck a stone that lies in the lap of the figure. We beat the Emperor Hadrian completely, as we heard the sound a dozen times instead of twice, and if we had given the Arab a franc he would have been delighted to pound the stone for half an hour. [Illustration: EGYPTIAN PRIESTS CLAD IN LEOPARD-SKINS.] "The sound is what we call a metallic one, like that of a poorly tuned bell. The whole trick is clearly apparent. A priest was concealed in a niche behind the stone, where nobody could see him from the ground, and he could strike the stone at the proper moment without fear of discovery. Perhaps he went to sleep occasionally, and then the sound was not heard; or it is possible he was in league with the hotel-keepers of Thebes, and wished people to stay in town a week or two, instead of finishing their visit in a day and taking the train to the next place. At any rate, the Colossi have ceased to be among the wonders of the world. For thirty centuries they have looked out on the plain of Thebes. What a pity it is they cannot open their stony lips and tell us what has passed around them during all that period of time--what changes they have witnessed, and what generations have come and gone since they first began their long vigil!" [Illustration: REAR VIEW OF THE COLOSSI, WITH LUXOR IN THE DISTANCE.] CHAPTER XVII. THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS.--RECENT DISCOVERIES OF ROYAL MUMMIES. "From temples to tombs," wrote one of the boys in his journal, "the transition is a natural one. The kings built the temples, and recorded their exploits on the walls. When they were done with temples and all other earthly things, they were carried to their tombs and laid away to rest. We saw their temples yesterday, and to-day we have made an excursion to their tombs. [Illustration: SACRED MUSICIANS, AND A PRIEST OFFERING INCENSE.] "The tombs of the kings are about three miles from the river, and the road to them is along a valley as barren as any part of the desert can possibly be. It must have been a weary route for the funeral processions from Thebes to this desolate spot, and it is probable that the kings deferred their journeys there as long as possible. The way is impassable for carriages, and so we rode on donkeys, as we have done in most of our Egyptian excursions. [Illustration: VALLEY OF THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS.]