Chapter 11

           "Mr.Trelawny’shopewasatleastasgreatasmyown.HeisnotsovolatileamanasIam,pronetoupsanddownsofhopeanddespair;buthehasafixedpurposewhichcrystalliseshopeintobelief.AttimesIhadfearedthattheremighthavebeentwosuchstones,orthattheadventuresofVanHuynweretraveller’sfictions,basedonsomeordinaryacquisitionofthecurioinAlexandriaorCairo,orLondonorAmsterdam.ButMr.Trelawnyneverfalteredinhisbelief.Wehadmanythingstodistractourmindsfrombeliefordisbelief.ThiswassoonafterArabiPasha,andEgyptwassosafeplacefortravellers,especiallyiftheywereEnglish.ButMr.Trelawnyisafearlessman;andIalmostcometothinkattimesthatIamnotacowardmyself.WegottogetherabandofArabswhomoneorotherofushadknowninformertripstothedesert,andwhomwecouldtrust;thatis,wedidnotdistrustthemasmuchasothers.Wewerenumerousenoughtoprotectourselvesfromchancemaraudingbands,andwetookwithuslargeimpedimenta.Wehadsecuredtheconsentandpassiveco-operationoftheofficialsstillfriendlytoBritain;intheacquiringofwhichconsentIneedhardlysaythatMr.Trelawny’sricheswereofchiefimportance.WefoundourwayindhahabiyehstoAswan;whence,havinggotsomeArabsfromtheSheikandhavinggivenourusualbacksheesh,wesetoutonourjourneythroughthedesert.