VI. The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb

           IhavealwaysconsideredthatoneofthemostthrillinganddramaticofthemanyadventuresIhavesharedwithPoirotwasthatofourinvestigationintothestrangeseriesofdeathswhichfolloweduponthediscoveryandopeningoftheTombofKingMen-her-Ra.

           HarduponthediscoveryoftheTombofTut-ankh-AmenbyLordCarnarvon,SirJohnWillardandMr.BleibnerofNewYork,pursuingtheirexcavationsnotfarfromCairo,inthevicinityofthePyramidsofGizeh,cameunexpectedlyonaseriesoffuneralchambers.Thegreatestinterestwasarousedbytheirdiscovery.TheTombappearedtobethatofKingMen-her-Ra,oneofthoseshadowykingsoftheEighthDynasty,whentheOldKingdomwasfallingtodecay.Littlewasknownaboutthisperiod,andthediscoverieswerefullyreportedinthenewspapers.

           Aneventsoonoccurredwhichtookaprofoundholdonthepublicmind.SirJohnWillarddiedquitesuddenlyofheartfailure.

           ThemoresensationalnewspapersimmediatelytooktheopportunityofrevivingalltheoldsuperstitiousstoriesconnectedwiththeillluckofcertainEgyptiantreasures.TheunluckyMummyattheBritishMuseum,thathoaryoldchestnut,wasdraggedoutwithfreshzest,wasquietlydeniedbytheMuseum,butneverthelessenjoyedallitsusualvogue.

           AfortnightlaterMr.Bleibnerdiedofacutebloodpoisoning,andafewdaysafterwardsanephewofhisshothimselfinNewYork.The“CurseofMen-her-Ra”wasthetalkoftheday,andthemagicpowerofdeadandgoneEgyptwasexaltedtoafetishpoint.