Проклятие мумии, или Камень Семи Звезд

           Thatwewereinalonecavernofthedead,anhundredfeetabovetheground,wherenonecouldfindmewereilldonetome,norwouldanyeverseek.ButinsecretIdeterminedthatIwouldcomeagain,thoughwithmoresecurefollowing.Moreover,wasItemptedtoseekfurther,asinexaminingthewrappingsIsawmanythingsofstrangeimportinthatwondroustomb;includingacasketofeccentricshapemadeofsomestrangestone,whichmethoughtmighthavecontainedotherjewels,inasmuchasithadsecurelodgmentinthegreatsarcophagusitself.Therewasinthetombalsoanothercofferwhich,thoughofrareproportionandadornment,wasmoresimplyshaped.Itwasofironstoneofgreatthickness;butthecoverwaslightlycementeddownwithwhatseemedgumandParisplaster,asthoughtoinsurethatnoaircouldpenetrate.TheArabswithmesoinsistedinitsopening,thinkingthatfromitsthicknessmuchtreasurewasstoredtherein,thatIconsentedthereto.Buttheirhopewasafalseone,asitproved.Within,closelypacked,stoodfourjarsfinelywroughtandcarvedwithvariousadornments.Oftheseonewastheheadofaman,anotherofadog,anotherofajackal,andanotherofahawk.Ihadbeforeknownthatsuchburialurnsasthesewereusedtocontaintheentrailsandotherorgansofthemummieddead;butonopeningthese,forthefasteningofwax,thoughcomplete,wasthin,andyieldedeasily,wefoundthattheyheldbutoil.TheBedouins,spillingmostoftheoilintheprocess,gropedwiththeirhandsinthejarslesttreasureshouldhavebeenthereconcealed.