CHAPTER XIX
Searching for the Ancient
"Not a lake," said Fekmah, shaking his head. "Only another mirage.They are rather common all through this region, and we may see muchmore short time."
"Well, if there was a real lake there beside that mirage, I wouldn'tknow which to pick," confessed Joe. "And look! Even waves are there.And foam caps!"
"Wonderful facsimile, all right," remarked Dr. Kirshner. "Old Natureis capable of playing mighty big jokes on us sometimes."
For over a half-hour the illusion was visible to the explorers; then,when they rounded a large pile of rocks, it could no longer be seen.
"And I'm glad," said Bob. "Now maybe I can get my mind away fromthinking only of water. It wasn't very pleasant to see what lookedlike it and not be able to have it."
"When do we come to another oasis?" inquired Joe of Fekmah.
"Tishmak say within next fifty miles," was the response. "It be verysmall, but there be much water to drink."
Late that evening they came to the foothills of the Ahaggars. MajesticMount Oudane was directly before them, and the whole Ahaggar rangeappeared to be only a few miles away in the clear desert air.
They at last reached the small oasis among the many red boulders.After filling their containers, they continued toward the mountains,greatly refreshed and ready for action. But darkness was rapidlyfalling, and it would be necessary to stop before long for the night.
Tishmak, however, thought it best to travel in the moonlight. Theothers were more than willing to do this, for now that they were sonear their goal they hesitated to lose any precious time.
"We can go on for a while," said Mr. Lewis, as daylight rapidly faded."Then we'll turn in and get a few hours of sleep."
Soon it became dark, making it necessary to stop. But before long themoon came out in full splendor, flooding the rocky vastness withenchanting light. The distant needle-like peaks took on a strangeappearance, like mysterious towers of a fairyland.
The scene was unusual and slightly weird, resembling the rough surfaceof the moon. For some time the Americans were silent, absorbed inthought. Finally Bob roused himself.
"Those mountains seem rather intangible, or ghost-like," he remarked,as he and Joe rode at the rear of the caravan.
Joe nodded.
"It's like we're the characters of an Arabian Nights story," hemuttered. "No vegetation, no life of any kind around anywhere. Getsunder my skin a little."
Through the early part of the night they rode ever on, on toward themysterious Ahaggars. One question stood out in the minds of all. Whatdid the future hold in store?
Finally Tishmak brought his dromedary to a halt beside a huge boulder.He motioned for the others to follow suit.
"We'll stop here for the night," announced Fekmah, after conversingwith the guide. "But we must be up very early in morning and get onway to mountains."
That night everyone slept soundly, anxious to refresh themselvesthoroughly for the tiresome march through the Ahaggars.
"Let's go," urged Joe, as he dressed the next morning at dawn. "Wecan't get to those hidden riches any too soon for me."
Mr. Holton laughed unwillingly.
"Who ever heard of fast traveling in the mountains?" he asked. "If wemake ten or fifteen miles in a day we'll be lucky."
"There are stretches of smooth country, though," Dr. Kirshner put in."And when we get to the central plateau of the Ahaggars, it won't beso hard to cover territory."
A breakfast of limited food but a bountiful supply of water wasprepared by Mr. Lewis, and then camp was broken.
In the early-morning light the peaks ahead looked pale purple, but,said Fekmah, this color would gradually change to mauve and blue asthe sunlight became more radiant.
As they rounded a tall, red boulder, Tishmak suddenly halted his cameland pointed to a little crevice between the rocks.
"Well, as I live!" murmured the archaeologist in surprise."Camels--dead, mummified camels."
The beasts had evidently been dead a long time, for their skins wereextremely dry and cracked. The fierce desert sun had preserved theirbodies for an indefinite period.
"And look, they've got their mouths down to the ground, as if theywere searching for water," observed Joe.
"They were," affirmed Fekmah. "There once a well here, but it dried upjust before camels got to it."
"Perhaps they wandered for days searching for it, and then finallyfound it--dry." Bob shuddered.
It was a pitiable sight, particularly to the Americans. They halfexpected to come across the mummified body of some unfortunateexplorer who had died a tragic death from thirst.
"We must be doubly careful to have the containers filled with water,"warned Mr. Holton. "This is a dangerous region, and disaster couldeasily come upon our little expedition."
They trudged on in the rapidly rising temperature of the terrible sun,keeping their eyes off the ground as much as possible to escape theglare. They could easily have worn sun glasses, but hesitated to do sobecause of the rather obstructed vision.
"What's this!" cried Dr. Kirshner, as they came to a huge rock thatwas directly in their path.
"Some kind of an inscription, isn't it?" inquired Bob.
"It is that!" came the excited reply. "An ancient Libyan record,perhaps of a noteworthy event that took place in this vicinity. If youwill give me a few minutes I'll copy this down. It may prove of greatinterest in my future study of early Sahara peoples."
The others waited for the archaeologist to transcribe the writing. Itproved very difficult to read offhand, but that a full translationwould eventually come to light was not in the least doubted by theother Americans. In fact they had come to regard Dr. Kirshner as awonder among men of his profession.
At last he put the paper back in its place and made a sign to Tishmakthat he was ready to continue the journey.
"Now let's make time," said Bob anxiously. "We ought to get over agood many more miles before time for the noon rest."
And they did. The country had not yet become rough enough to hinderthe progress of the dromedaries, even though huge boulders were strewnabout. By ten o'clock they had reached the base of the Plateau of theMouydir, a thousand-foot-high wall of solid stone.
"Tuaregs have many superstitious legends about this rock," saidFekmah, after talking several minutes with Tishmak. "They believe evilspirits up in great caves come down and kill travelers. They too thinksandstorms and whirlwinds are caused by spirits hiding up in largecracks there."
"How interesting," said Dr. Kirshner, getting out his small portabletypewriter.
Bob and Joe had taken motion pictures along the journey, and now theysaw another opportunity to film a scenic wonder.
"I'd like for you to do a little acting," said Bob to Fekmah, as theyouth turned his camera in the direction of the mammoth wall of rock.
The Arab looked up in some surprise.
"I want you to point to the Plateau of Mouydir and talk to Dr.Kirshner," the young man explained. "Tell him about the legend of theTuaregs. Meanwhile I'll be photographing you. Too bad this can't be atalking picture. All right. Let's go."
Fekmah understood and smiled. Dr. Kirshner was also willing to assistthe young photographers in their work.
The Arab and the American engaged in conversation, while Bob tookmovies of them pointing to the high rock. When it was finished, Boband Joe smiled in satisfaction.
"That's the kind of scenes we ought to have more of," Joe said."They're different from the usual monotony of 'shooting' the countryalone."
"Gives a sort of individuality, huh?" laughed Mr. Holton. "Well, anytime we can be of use to you, let us know."
Camp was made at the very base of the huge rock. Then the usual mealwas prepared.
"Use water sparingly," cautioned Mr. Lewis, as they sat down on thecool sand in the shade of the tent. "Tishmak says we will not come toanother well till tomorrow afternoon."
"That's a long time to wait," said Dr. Kirshner gravely. "Ca
n we makewhat we have hold out?"
"We've got to," Joe's father returned. "We'll have to restrain fromtaking any undue exercise in the heat of the sun."
"Hum-m!" Dr. Kirshner looked disappointed. "That seems to want tospoil my plans for this afternoon."
"How's that?"
"I had intended to do a little exploring up on top of that wall ofstone."
There were exclamations of surprise and anxiety.
"What!" cried Mr. Lewis. "Why, you couldn't scale that steep cliffwith ladders and ropes!"
"Maybe not in some places," the archaeologist smiled. "But I havenoticed that there are large fissures that would offer footholds withcomparative ease, and I'm going to chance it. There's no telling whatI may bring to light from up on that lofty rock."
There was a period of silence, finally broken by Bob.
"May Joe and I go with you?" he asked.
There were loud protests from the youths' fathers, who thought italmost madness to attempt to climb the steep slope. But Dr. Kirshnerheld up a hand for silence.
"Wait till we finish this meal and I'll show you a place where itwill be more or less easy to get to the top," he said.
"If it's there, I'd like to see it," came from Mr. Holton.
When the noon meal was over, the archaeologist led them to a pointperhaps a quarter of a mile from the camp. He pointed up and smiled.
"Doesn't that look like an easy climb?" he asked. "Plenty of safefootholds and cracks to grasp. I'm going up."
Bob and Joe put in a request to their fathers to accompany thescientist and were finally given permission.
"But be careful," warned Mr. Lewis. "And don't wander too far away."
Dr. Kirshner led the way up the side of the cliff, followed by Joe andBob. The climb was in some places difficult and a little dangerous,but they plodded surely up.
At last, panting and perspiring, they came to the last foothold andpulled themselves up to the top. Then they turned to take in the viewbelow.
Cries of astonishment came from all at the wonderful panorama thatstretched out before them. Hundreds of feet down and to their rightwas the camp, and a short distance away were Mr. Holton and Mr. Lewis.The dromedaries were tethered beside a large rock near the cliff.
"I suppose Fekmah and Tishmak are in the tent," remarked thescientist, scanning the landscape.
With the aid of his powerful binoculars the camp was made to appearquite near, and the features of the naturalists were easily made out.
At last Dr. Kirshner turned about.
"A fine view," he said. "But let us not spend too much time here. Iwant to explore the roof of this cliff."
The rocky surface was in most places flat, but there were a few hugefissures that apparently extended far into the rock.
They had come to one unusually deep crack when Dr. Kirshner stoppedand slid down the steep side, desirous of seeing the unusual.
He reached the bottom some fifteen feet below, sending a score ofsmall rocks down the side of the crevice.
"What's there?" Joe called down, bending over the side.
"Nothing, I guess. There is---- Wait a minute!"
The next moment he was all excitement, having evidently come acrosssomething on the side of the rock.
"Drawings!" he cried animatedly, pointing to the wall about him."Prehistoric drawings of--of elephants!"