T IS THE 14TH OF PRIL 1912, A SUNNY_UNDAY MORNING. E ARE AT THE 'NTER_OTEL' IN AMBURG, WHERE THE MOST_IMPORTANT PORT OF THE ERMAN EMPIRE_LIES.________'ICE WEATHER! E ARE LUCKY WITH OUR__HOLIDAY!', ILHELM, THE DEVOTED__DRIVER AND COMRADE WITH THE ROUND FACE__AND THE CUNNINGLY SHINING EYES REMARKS.__'HAT A COMFORT! IRST  WILL HAVE__A BATH, AND THEN REST. FTER LUNCH __WILL VISIT AN EXHIBITION. N THE__EVENING  WILL GO TO A CONCERT.'__HE SHRILL RINGING OF THE TELEPHONE__WAKES ILHELM FROM HIS DREAMS.__'HE PORTER IS ON THE LINE AND TELLS__US THAT A R. ABENSBERG URGENTLY__WANTS TO SPEAK WITH US.'__'ELL, IF IT DOES NOT TAKE TOO LONG HE__MAY COME UP.'__OROSELY, ILHELM BANGS THE RECEIVER__ONTO THE CRADLE.__= FEW MOMENTS LATER A PORTLY MAN, WHO__LOOKS ABOUT FIFTY YEARS OLD, ENTERS THE__ROOM; OUT OF HIS BLOATED FACE TWO__STRANGELY SHINING EYES LOOK AT US WITH__CURIOSITY. E SEATS HIMSELF, WAITING__FOR US, IN VAIN, TO SERVE HIM A DRINK.__E SLOWLY BEGINS HIS NARRATION.___'ENTLEMEN, PLEASE DO NOT BE OFFENDED__BY MY DISTURBANCE BUT IT IS OF GREAT__IMPORTANCE TO ME TO SEE YOU.__T ALL BEGAN ON THE 12TH OF UNE 1884__WHEN WE STARTED AN EXPEDITION TO A-__MEROUN TO EXPLORE THE INNER COUNTIES__OF OUR NEW COLONIES AND TO SEARCH FOR__OLD FRICAN CULTURES.__'HIS EXPEDITION WAS LED BY THE__WORLD-FAMOUS ROFESSOR RAVELIUS.__Y FATHER WAS A SCIENTIFIC COLLABO-__RATOR ON THIS EXPEDITION. N THE 17TH__OF UGUST THE TWO-MASTER, 'RINCE__LBERT' SAILED INTO THE PORT OF UALA.__= FEW DAYS LATER THE GROUP, CONSISTING__OF 20 ERMAN MEN AND 50 LOCAL BEARERS,__WERE ON THEIR WAY TO LAKE IEREM, WHICH__WAS SITUATED 250 MILES TO THE WEST.__NTIL THEN THE LAKE DISTRICT WAS__KNOWN BY ORAL LOCAL TALES ONLY, THUS__THE ERMAN OVERNMENT GAVE ORDERS TO__EXPLORE AND RECORD IT CARTOGRAPHICALLY.__URING THE JOURNEY ROFESSOR RAVELIUS__DISCOVERED A CAVE GRAVE WITH A MUMMY,__WHILE HE WAS ON EXPEDITIONARY RE-__CONNAISSANCE. HE PROFESSOR TOOK__THE MUMMY, INTENDING TO GIVE IT TO__THE NSTITUTE OF THNOLOGY IN AMBURG__FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE. HE LOCAL__BEARERS DECLARED IT TO BE A MUMMY OF__THE OZUMAS. HEY REFUSED TO CARRY IT__BECAUSE THEY FEARED TO AROUSE THE WRATH__OF THE GODS. T TOOK A LONG TIME TO__PERSUADE THEM TO CARRY THE MUMMY TO THE__PORT.__'HE BELIEFS OF THE BEARERS SEEMED__TO COME TRUE WHEN, SOME TIME LATER,__SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE EXPEDITION FELL__ILL WITH MALARIA AND HAD TO RETURN TO__ERMANY. ROFESSOR RAVELIUS ALSO FELL__ILL. E HANDED OVER THE CONTROL OF__THE EXPEDITION TO MY FATHER AND IN-__STRUCTED HIM TO TAKE THE MUMMY TO__ERMANY.__'HORTLY AFTER HIS RETURN TO AMBURG__MY FATHER MET WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE__GYPTIAN USEUM OF ERLIN, WHO WAS__PLANNING A SPECIAL EXHIBITION, 'FRICAN__OLONIES'. E ASKED MY FATHER TO LEND__HIM THE MUMMY FOR THE DURATION OF THE__EXHIBITION. NOWING THAT THE EXHIBITION__WOULD LAST FOR ONLY TWO MONTHS, MY__FATHER CONSENTED TO THE WISH OF HIS__COLLEAGUE.__'NFORTUNATELY THE MUMMY AND SEVERAL__OTHER EXHIBITS WERE STOLEN SHORTLY__BEFORE THE END OF THE EXHIBITION.__Y FATHER NEVER RECOVERED FROM THE__LOSS, ALTHOUGH THE MUMMY'S MATERIAL__WORTH WAS COMPARABLY SMALL. NLY A__COLLECTOR WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN__THIS MUMMY.__'ESTERDAY  DISCOVERED AN ANNOUNCEMENT__FROM THE MMERMANN & O. AUCTION HOUSE__IN THE NEWSPAPER 'AMBURG ORGENBOTE'.__N IMPORTED FRICAN MUMMY WOULD BE PUT__UP FOR AUCTION.  HAVE__COME TO BEG YOU TO FIND OUT IF IT IS__MY FATHER'S MUMMY. N ADVANCE  WILL__PAY YOU THE SUM OF 100 EICHSMARK.'__='HERE ARE STILL SOME OPEN QUESTIONS,__R. ABENSBERG. HY DID YOU CALL ON US?__E ARE A LAWYER'S OFFICE AND NOT A__PRIVATE DETECTIVE'S.'__' KNOW, BUT  AM OF THE OPINION THAT__THE CASE SHOULD BE IN YOUR HANDS -__ HEARD OF YOUR GREAT SUCCESS IN THE__EISGERBER CASE.'__ILHELM'S ANGER BEGINS TO RISE AT THE__PRESENCE OF THIS OBTRUSIVE GUEST. E__STARTS THINKING OF THE COOLING WATER__IN THE BATHTUB.__'HY DON'T YOU TAKE THE CASE INTO YOUR__OWN HANDS SINCE YOU ARE CONVINCED OF__ITS BANALITY?'__'ELL, YOU KNOW HOW MUCH  CARE FOR THE__MUMMY, DISREGARDING ITS SMALL VALUE,__AS A KEEPSAKE FOR MY FATHER.__HEREFORE  WANT YOU TO ACT AS__MY NEGOTIATOR AT THE AUCTION - YOUR__FIRST TASK WOULD BE TO FIND OUT IF THE__MUMMY IS THE ONE FOR WHICH  SEARCH.__LEASE INFORM ME OF THE RESULTS OF__YOUR INVESTIGATION.'__'LL RIGHT', WE ANSWER WITH RESIGNA-__TION, 'BUT WE HAVE TO GO TO UNICH ON__HURSDAY. HE AUCTION WILL BEGIN EARL-__IER. O FAR EVERYTHING IS SETTLED. E__WILL INFORM YOU IN TIME.'________             RESS 'RETURN'__*