This collection by H. Rider Haggard, "Smith and the Pharaohs and Other Tales," showcases the author's range beyond his famous novel-length adventures, presenting a series of thrilling and supernatural short stories. The title story, "Smith and the Pharaohs," is a remarkable tale of reincarnation and archaeological obsession. It follows James Ebenezer Smith, a meticulous and unassuming clerk who develops a profound fascination with ancient Egypt. On a visit to the Cairo Museum, he becomes entranced by the lifelike features of the statue of a great Egyptian queen. He is then haunted by a recurring dream in which he lives the life of a Phoenician mercenary captain in love with that very queen. This psychic connection leads him to a daring and clandestine archaeological discovery in the Valley of the Kings, where the boundaries between his past and present lives blur terrifyingly. The other tales in the collection continue this theme of venturing into the unknown, featuring encounters with the supernatural, brushes with death in exotic locales, and explorations of mystical forces. H. Rider Haggard masterfully blends his knowledge of history and geography with a sense of the uncanny, creating compact, potent narratives that explore the idea that the past is never truly dead and that the world holds mysteries beyond rational comprehension.

Table of Contents:

• Smith and the Pharaohs and Other Tales. Part 1

• Smith and the Pharaohs and Other Tales. Part 2

• Smith and the Pharaohs and Other Tales. Part 3

• Smith and the Pharaohs and Other Tales. Part 4