ested in the yarn which I am going to tell you-if you can stand it." "Yes, go ahead; interesting woman, the Queen of Sheba, said Hawkwood. "When I was out in Eritrea," began Ricardo, "there was a strange old fellow who was in charge of my my mobilisation equipment. He was an Italian, but much more like a native than a European. He was one of those unfortunates who were captured at Adowa, but, instead of being mutilated and released as so many of them were, he was kept a captive for years by one of the feudal lords in the Gojam district. I liked the old boy, and he used to come to my quarters and tell me tales of his captivity. One of his yarns was that the Queen of Sheba, who was, as of course you know, Queen of Abyssinia, stole the Ark of the Covenant from Solomon, and brought it back with her and hid it on an island in Lake Tsana." 'But," I objected, "the Israelites surely had the Ark long after Solomon's time." only a fairy story, and that the old man who told me only repeated it as an amusing fable. But he persisted. 'Is this old man still in Eritrea ?' he asked. 'No, he's dead,' I said. 'He died while I was out there.' He was greatly disappointed at that. 'Did he tell you where he heard the story?' he went on. I told him that I couldn't remember, but that it was really of no importance. "Colonel Ricardo,' he said, in a dignified way which made me feel ashamed, the fortunes of my race have declined ever since the days of King Solomon; I am wondering whether your story may not have revealed the cause.' "By Jove, that's an idea!" ejaculated young Hawkwood. "Just now," continued Ricardo, "when I went over to talk to him, he asked me if I was still in touch with affairs in Eritrea, for he was anxious to obtain news, unofficially, about a young friend of his who had gone out there about a year ago on his way to Abyssinia. I said that most of the people I had known in the colony were now elsewhere, but I mentioned you two fellows as having just come from that part of the world, and suggested that he might like to meet you. When I told him that you were British officers, he said that if you would do him the honour of coming to his suite after 'Is we have finished our coffee he "Had they? returned Ricardo; "I don't remember. But anyhow the old storeman's account said the Queen of Sheba had an exact replica made, and that she placed that in the Temple when she stole the real one. Well, I told this story to old Abelsburg, and he was very interested. this generally known in Abyssinia?' he asked. I said that I didn't think so, that it was VOL. CCXXIV.-NO. MCCCLIII. would like to ask you a few questions." Ricardo stopped and looked at us questioningly. B "As he has put it so politely," I said, "I don't see how we can very well refuse." "I'm for it," said Hawkwood. "We might be able to touch him for a bit." We found Mr Abelsburg waiting for us in the sitting-room of his suite, and I had the grace to feel ashamed of having referred to him as a "sheeny." The unostentatious perfection of his manners made me conscious of my own, and, in spite of his appearance, the moment he spoke one forgot the Jew and perceived only the man. He gave one the impression of honesty and absolute simplicity. It was foreign to all my preconceived ideas that honesty and simplicity should be the outstanding characteristics of a world-renowned financier, and an American Jew at that, but perhaps these very qualities were the secret of his success. At any rate, as soon as we were seated and provided with refreshments, he began without delay to explain the reason for his interest in us. "I think, gentlemen," he began," that I had better take you completely into my confidence, for the information which I am seeking concerns a young Englishman who is obviously of your own class, and as I am going to ask you to treat what I say as confidential, I do not wish to conceal anything. Two years ago my only daughter was introduced to a young Englishman named Henry Judson, who was, at that time, employed in some minor capacity in your embassy at Washington. He came to my house on several occasions, and I found him pleasant company, but in no way remarkable. We had not, as you may imagine, much in common, and I confess that he had scarcely registered on my consciousness when one morning he called on me with a view to obtaining my consent to his marriage with my daughter. I need not enter into my reasons for refusing to countenance this engagement; I gave them clearly to Mr Judson, and they were entirely adequate. He left Washington shortly afterwards, and I did not see him again for nearly twelve months. My daughter, gentlemen, is my only child. Since the death of her mother we have been much together. After Mr Judson left Washington she seemed to lose interest in things. She had said very little when I spoke to her of my interview with Judson, and for a time I was blind to the cause of her failing health. But she is very dear to me, and presently I guessed. I decided that change of air and scene would be most likely to restore her balance, so we went to Europe. cure was worse than the disease, for we met Henry Judson in Rome. He came to see me again, and again I refused to consider his proposal. My daughter pleaded with me. I was obdurate, but in my heart was the fear of losing her. And then I met our friend Colonel Ricardo, and heard The from him the remarkable story which I asked him to repeat to you before he brought you here. To you it may seem but an interesting legend, but to me it is more than that. I need not press the point; you are all young, and religion, to the young, is a thing apart from everyday life. I felt that I must carefully investigate the origin of the story before taking any definite action, but how I was to set about it without causing curious comment puzzled me until I thought of using Henry Judson. "Now I wish to be perfectly frank with you, and I will confess that, though Mr Judson seemed, from a physical point of view, eminently fitted to be my emissary, I was not quite so certain of his suitability in other respects, and I doubt whether I should have employed him if it had not been that I was anxious to get him out of the way for a time. The position is now clear to you, and I need not explain further, but will merely add that I sent for Henry Judson, explained the matter to him, and asked if he would go. He put one question to me before he consented. 'If I succeed,' he said, will you reconsider my position?' I had expected this, and had my answer ready. That depends,' I replied, on how my daughter feels about it when you return.' He looked at me searchingly for a moment and then got up. All right, I trust you,' he said; I will go.' "That was fifteen months ago, and I have had no direct news of him since. One draft which I gave him was cashed at the order of a Greek merchant in Kassala, and another, a month later, by a firm of Italian exporters in Asmara. Then, in September last, my daughter received a bracelet, made of the tail hair of an elephant, in an envelope which bore the Addis Abbaba postmark, dated 8th August. There was nothing but the bracelet in the envelope, and the address was written in an uneducated hand. So you see that it is now nine months since we have had news of any sort, and my daughter is wearing herself out with anxiety. She feels, I am afraid, that I sent her lover to his death." The great banker paused for a moment. His eyes were troubled. None of us spoke. "Perhaps I did send him to his death," he resumed. "God forgive me if I misjudged him, for he was honest with me. But I need not trouble you with my personal affairs; what I need is advice. Has the time come when I should give up the idea of his bringing the mission to a successful conclusion and apply my energies to the task of tracing him? He may have met with greater difficulties than anticipated: I know nothing of the country myself, and cannot form an opinion. If I act prematurely I may undo the work of a year. That, gentlemen, is the point on which I ask you to Young Hawkwood was the first to answer. He spoke more seriously than was his wont, and it was clear that the story and the personality of the speaker had impressed him. "I should give him time, sir," he said. "If he is dead he is dead, and you can do nothing to help him. If he is in difficulties he will find some way of communicating with you. Personally I know little of that side of the country, but I do know something of the Amharic language, and I should think it quite possible that he has been delayed by having to learn it. You can't do any give me the benefit of your whitened skeleton; again felt experience. You are familiar the fierce glare of the sun upon with the country, and you can my back. Should I tell them judge the man from your know- my story for what it was ledge of each other." worth? Hawkwood had heard it, and evidently did not connect the two. Was I jumping too rashly to conclusions? The expectant silence of the others brought me to myself. It was necessary to say something. "Mr Abelsburg," I began, “I have been thinking over what you have told us. I am afraid that it is only too probable that Judson is dead. I know, in part, the country he would have to traverse. It is wild and mountainous. The people are truculent and lawless. Strangers are looked on with suspicion. I should advise the gradual preparation of your daughter for the worst. Of course, there are numerous official channels through which information might be obtained; but official machinery, once set in action, is hard to stop. suggest that you wait a little longer. In the meantime, if you will give me an accurate description of Judson, I will myself do what I can to trace him. My station is close to the frontier of Abyssinia, and from time to time merchants and others pass my way. It is possible that I may be able to find out something. But what about Judson's friends? Are they taking no action?" thing until you know the language of a country." "Thank you, Captain Hawkwood," replied Mr Abelsburg. "Your ideas agree closely with my own-Judson, by the way, is an excellent linguist, as far as European languages are concerned-but you have forgotten one thing, to me the most important consideration of them all-that the suspense is telling on my daughter.' "I'm sorry, said Hawkwood contritely. "I confess that I was so interested in your account of Judson that I forgot your daughter." Mr Abelsburg bowed politely and turned to me. For a moment I said nothing. My thoughts were far away. Again I saw myself bending over that I "I know nothing of his friends," replied the banker stiffly. "I treated Mr Judson on his own merits." "Still, that is a line which ought to be followed," put in Ricardo. "You two are going to England; don't you think it would be a good thing to make discreet inquiries concerning Judson ? His friends may have heard from him even though you, Mr Abelsburg, have not. I may say that I agree about not hurrying things if Miss Abelsburg's health will not suffer unduly from the delay. About that, of course, no one can judge except your self." The banker was looking at me intently. I am sure he knew that I had something on my mind, but, if so, he made no comment. "I thank you all for your advice," he said, rising. "We seem to agree upon the desirability of delay. I will do what I can to prepare my daughter for the bad news which I am afraid she will have to hear sooner or later. I will get from her as accurate a description as I can of Henry Judson, and will send it to you." with external features only, such as height, colour of hair, and eyes. I wrote immediately to Abelsburg and asked him for further details, more particularly as to teeth. To this letter I had no answer until just before I left England again at the end of my leave. Mr Abelsburg's reply was written from San Francisco, from which city he was, he said, leaving for Japan with his daughter in search of mental relaxation. He added that he could tell me nothing about Judson's teeth beyond the fact that they were not noticeable, but that his daughter said that he had had some work done on them by a dentist in Washington, and that he had asked his own physician to obtain information on the point and communicate with me direct. I did not make any inquiries about Judson in England, for Hawkwood had undertaken to do this, saying that he would let me know what he found out, but as he had not done so up to the time of my departure, I returned to Africa with no very clear idea of what I was going to look for. To tell the truth, the whole thing had ceased to occupy a prominent position in my Hawkwood and I left next day for England, and I did not receive the promised description of the missing man until I had been in London for some days. When it did come, it contained, as I might have guessed, none of the things that I needed, being concerned thoughts. III. THE GOLDEN MOUSE. When I reached headquarters on my return from leave I put in an application to be sent back to my old station. To my surprise it was immediately approved, for Carstairs, who |