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THE CAT OF BUBASTES
A TALE OF ANCIENT EGYPT.
BY
Gf A. HENTY,
Author of M By Sheer Pluck;" "The Young Carthaginian;"' "FortheTemplo;"
"In the Reign of Terror;" "A Final Reckoning;" Ac

WITH E1GHT FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS
BY J. R. WEGUSL1N.

LONDON
BLACKIE & SON, Limited, 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C.
GLASGOW aND DUBLIN





PREFACE.
Thanks to the care with which the Egyptians depicted
upon the walls of their sepulchres the minutest doings of
their daily life, to the dryness of the climate which has pre-
served these records uninjured for so many thousand years,
and to the indefatigable labour of modern investigators, we
know far more of the manners and customs of the Egyptians,
of their methods of work, their sports and amusements, their
public festivals, and domestic life, than we do of those of
peoples comparatively modern. My object in the present
story has been to give you as lively a picture as possible of
that life, drawn from the bulky pages of Sir J. Gardner
Wilkinson and other writers on the same subject '■I have
laid the scene in the time of Thotmes III., one of the great-
est of the Egyptian monarchs, being surpassed only in glory
and the extent of his conquests by Rameses the Great It
is certain that Thotmes carried the arms of Egypt to the
shores of the Caspian, and a people named the Rebu, with
fair hair and blue eyes, were among those depicted in the
Egyptian sculptures as being conquered and made tributary.
It is open to discussion whether the Exodus of the Jews
from Egypt took place in the reign of Thotmes or many
years subsequently, some authors assigning it to the time
of Rameses. Without attempting to enter into this much
discussed question, I have assumed that the Israelites were


iv
PREFACE.
still in Egypt at the time of Thotmes, and by introducing
Moses just at the time he began to take up the cause of the
people to whom he belonged, I leave it to be inferred that
the Exodus took place some forty years later. I wish you
to understand, however, that you are not to accept this date
as being absolutely correct Opinions differ widely upon it;
and as no allusion whatever has been discovered either to
the Exodus, or to any of the events which preceded it,
among the records of Egypt, there is nothing to fix the
date as occurring during the reign of any one among the
long line of Egyptian kings. The term Pharoah used in
the Bible throws no light upon the subject, as Pharoah
simply means king, and the name of no monarch bearing
that appellation is to be found on the Egyptian monu-
ments. I have in no way exaggerated the consequences
arising from the slaying of the sacred cat, as the acci-
dental killing of any cat whatever was an offence punished
by death throughout the history of Egypt down to the time
of the Roman connection with that country.
G. A. HENTY


CONTENTS.
Chap.
L The Kino of the Rebu, 9
II. The Siege of the City 25
IIL Captive 42
IV. An Easy Servitude, .... 58
V. In Lower Eoypt 75
VI. Fowling and Fishing 94
VII. Hippopotamus and Crocodile 112
VIII. The Conspiracy in the Temple, 131
IX. A Startling Event 1*7
X. The Cat of Bubastes, 185
XL Dangers Thicken 184
XII. The Death of Ameres, 199
XIII. The Search for Mysa 218
XIV. A Prince of Egypt, 236
XV. Ameres is Revenged, 252
XVI. Up the Nile, 274
XVII. Out of Egypt 292
XVIII. The Desert Journey 310
XIX. Home at Last, 325
XX. The Kino or the Rebu, 342





ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page
Fowling with the Throwino-stice, Frontispiece
The Rebu People led into Captivity 51
The High-priest presents Ahuba and Jethro to his Wife, 62
Amense gives a Banquet to her Friends, 145
Amense and Mysa bewail the Death of Neco 157
The Hiding-place of Chebron and his Friends, . . . 225
"The Highway of Egypt," 271
"Long live Amuba, King of the Kebu!" 340





THE CAT OF BUBASTES.
CHAPTER 1
THE KINO OF THE REBC
THE sun was blazing down upon a city on the western
shore of the Caspian. It was a primitive city, and
yet its size and population rendered it worthy of the term.
It consisted of a vast aggregation of buildings, which were
for the most part mere huts. Among them rose, however, a
few of more solid build and of higher pretensions. These
were the abodes of the chiefs and great men, the temples,
and places of assembly. But, although larger and more solidly
built, these buildings could lay noclaim to architectural beauty
of any kind, but were little more than magnified huts, and
even the king's palace was but a collection of such buildings
closely adjoining each other.
The town was surrounded by a lofty wall with battle-
ments and loopholes, and a similar but higher wall girt in
the dwellings of the king and of his principal captains. The
streets were alive with the busy multitude; and it was evi-
dent that, although in the arts of peace the nation had made
but little progress, they had in everything appertaining to
war made great advances. Most of the men wore helmets
closely fitting to the head and surmounted by a spike.
These were for the most part composed of hammered brass,
although some of the head-pieces were made of tough hide,
studded with knobs of metal . All carried round shields
—those of the soldiers, of leather stiffened with metal;
those of the captains, of brass, worked with considerable
elaboration.


10
A RACK OF WARRIORS.
In their belts all wore daggers, while at their backs were
slung quivers of iron; painted bows hung over one shoulder,
and some had at their waist a pouch of smooth flat stones
and leather slings. Their chief garment was a sort of kilt
falling to the knee. Above the waist some wore only a thin
vest of white linen, others a garment not unlike the night-
gown of modern times, but with short sleeves. The kilt
was worn over this. Some had breast-pieces of thick leather
confined by straps behind; while in the case of the officers
the leather was covered with small pieces of metal, forming
a cuirass.
All carried two or three javelins in the left hand, and a
spear some ten feet long in the right Horsemen galloped
about at full speed to and from the royal palace, while
occasionally chariots, drawn sometimes by one, sometimes
by two horses, dashed along. These chariots were small,
the wheels not exceeding three feet in height Between
them was placed the body of the vehicle, which was but
just large enough for two men to stand on. It consisted
only of a small platform, with a semicircular rail running
round the front some eighteen inches above it A close
observer would have perceived at once that not only were
the males of the city upon the point of marching out on a
military expedition, but that it was no mere foray against a
neighbouring people, but a war on which the safety of the
city depended.
Women were standing in tearful groups as they watched
the soldiers making towards the gates. The men themselves
had a resolute and determined look, but there was none of
the light-hearted gaiety among them which betokened the ex-
pectation of success and triumph. Inside the palace the bustle
of preparation was as marked as without The king and his
principal councillors and leaders were assembled in the great
circular hut which formed the audience-room and council-
chamber. Messengers arrived in close succession with news
of the progress and strength of the enemy, or with messages


A COUNCIL OF WAR.
11
from the neighbouring towns and tribes as to the contin-
gents they had furnished, and the time at which these had
set out to join the army.
The king himself was a tall and warlike figure, in the
prime of life. He had led his warriors on many successful
expeditions far to the west, and had repulsed with great
loss the attempts of the Persians to encroach upon his
territory. Standing behind him was his son, Amuba, a lad
of some fifteen years of age. The king and his councillors,
as well as all the wealthier inhabitants of the city, wore, in
addition to the kilt and linen jacket, a long robe highly
coloured and ornamented with fanciful devices, and having a
broad rich border. It was fastened at the neck with a large
brooch, fell loosely from the shoulders to the ankles, and
was open in front The girdles which retained the kilts and
in which the daggers were worn were highly ornamented,
and the ends fell down in front and terminated in large
tassels.
All wore a profusion of necklaces, bracelets, and other
ornaments of gold; many of the chiefs wore feathers in
their helmets, and the greater portion of all ranks had
figures tattooed on their arms and legs. They were fair in
complexion, with blue eyes; their hair was for the most part
golden or red, and they wore their beards short and pointed.
The young Prince Amuba was attired for the field; his
helmet was of gold, and his cuirass covered with plates of
the same metal . He listened with suppressed impatience to
the arguments of his elders, for he was eager to be off,
this being the first time that he had been permitted to take
part in the military expeditions of his country.
After listening for some time and perceiving that there
was no prospect of the council breaking up, he retired to the
large hut adjoining the council-chamber. This served as
the dwelling-place of the ladies and their family. It was
divided into several apartments by screens formed of hide
sewn together and hidden from sight by coloured hangings.


12 MOTHER AND SON.
In one of these a lady was seated on a low couch covered
with panthers' skins.
"They have not done talking yet, mother. It has been
a question as to where we shall assemble to give battle. It
does not seem to me to make much difference where we fight,
but they seem to think that it is most important; and of
course they know more about it than I do. They have fixed
upon a place at last—it is about fifteen miles from here.
They say that the ground in front is marshy and can hardly
be traversed by the enemy's chariots; but if they cannot get
at us, it seems to me that we cannot get at them. Messen-
gers have been sent off to order all the contingents to
assemble at that spot Six thousand men are to remain
behind to guard the city; but as we mean to beat them I
do not think there can be much occasion for that; for you
think we shall beat them—don't you, mother?"
"I hope so, Amuba; but I am very fearful."
"But we have several times repulsed them when they
have invaded our country, mother; why should we not do
so this time?"
"They are much stronger than they have ever been before
when they have come against us, my boy; and their king is
a great warrior, who has been successful in almost every
enterprise he has undertaken."
"I cannot think why he wants to conquer us, mother.
They say the riches of Egypt are immense, and the splen-
dour of their temples and buildings such as we have no
idea of. We have no quarrel with them if they will but let
us alone."
"No country is so rich that it does not desire more, my
son. We have gold and are skilled in the working of it,
and no doubt they anticipate that they will capture much
treasure in the land; besides, as you say, their expeditions
against the Rebu have been several times repulsed, and
therefore their monarch will reap all the greater honour if
he should defeat us. As to their having no quarrel with


LAST ADVICE. 13
us, have we not made many expeditions to the west, return-
ing with captives and much booty? and yet the people had
no quarrel with us—many of them, indeed, could scarcely
have known us by name when our army appeared among
them . Some day, my son, things may be managed differ-
ently; but at present kings who have power make war upon
people that are weaker than themselves, spoil them of their
goods, and make slaves of them.
"I hope, Amuba, you will not expose yourself too much
in the conflict You have not come to man's strength yet;
and remember you are my only child. See that your
charioteer covers you with his shield when you have entered
the battle, for the Egyptians are terrible as archers. Their
bows carry much farther than do ours, and the arrows will
pierce even the strongest armour. Our spearmen have al-
ways shown themselves as good as theirs—nay, better, for
they are stronger in body and full of courage. It is in the
goodness of her archers and the multitude of her chariots
that the strength of Egypt lies. Remember that although
your father, as king, must needs go into the thick of the
battle to encourage his soldiers, there is no occasion why
you, who are yet a boy, should so expose yourself.
"It will doubtless be a terrible battle. The Egyptians have
the memory of past defeats to wipe out, and they will be
fighting under the eye of their king. I am terrified, Amuba.
Hitherto when your father has gone out to battle I have
never doubted as to the result The Persians were not foes
whom brave men need dread; nor was it difficult to force
the hordes passing us from the eastward towards the setting
sun to respect our country, for we had the advantage in
arms and discipline. But the Egyptians are terrible foes,
and the arms of their king have been everywhere victorioua
My heart is filled with dread at the thought of the approach-
ing conflict, though I try to keep up a brave face when your
father is with me, for I would not that he should deem me
cowardly."


14 GOING OUT TO BATTLE.
"I trust, mother, that your fears are groundless; and I
cannot think that our men will give way when fighting for
their homes and country upon ground chosen by themselves."
"I hope not, Amuba. But there is the trumpet sound-
ing; it is the signal that the council have broken up and
that your father is about to start . Bless you, my dear boy,
and may you return safe and sound from the conflict!"
The queen fondly embraced her son, who left the apart-
ment hastily as his father entered in order that the latter
might not see the traces of tears on his cheeks. A few
minutes later the king, with his captains, started from the
palace. Most of them rode in chariots, the rest on horse-
back. The town was quiet now and the streets almost
deserted. With the exception of the garrison, all the men
capable of bearing arms had gone forth; the women with
anxious faces stood in groups at their doors and watched
the royal party as it drove out
.
The charioteer of Amuba was a tall and powerful man;
he carried a shield far larger than was ordinarily used, and
had been specially selected by the king for the service. His
orders were that he was not to allow Amuba to rush into
the front line of fighters, and that he was even to disobey
the orders of the prince if he wished to charge into the
ranks of the enemy.
"My son must not shirk danger," his father said, "and
he must needs go well into the fight; but he is still but a
boy, not fit to enter upon a hand-to-hand contest with the
picked warriors of Egypt. In time I hope he will fight
abreast of me, but at present you must restrain his ardour.
I need not bid you shield him as well as you can from the
arrows of the Egyptians. He is my eldest son, and if aught
happens to me he will be the King of the Rebu; and his
life is therefore a precious one."
Half an hour later they came upon the tail of the
stragglers making their way to the front . The king stopped
his chariot and sharply reproved some of them for their


THE ORDER OF BATTLE.
15
delay in setting out, and urged them to hasten on to the ap-
pointed place. In two hours the king arrived at this spot,
where already some forty thousand men were assembled.
The scouts who had been sent out reported that although
the advance-guard of the Egyptians might arrive in an
hour's time the main body were some distance behind, and
would not be up in time to attack before dark.
This was welcome news, for before night the rest of the
forces of the Rebu, fully thirty thousand more, would have
joined. The king at once set out to examine the ground
chosen by his general for the conflict. It sloped gently down
in front to a small stream which ran through soft and marshy
ground, and would oppose a formidable obstacle to the pas-
sage of chariots. The right rested upon a dense wood, while
a village a mile and a half distant from the wood was held
by the left wing.
A causeway which led from this across the marsh had
been broken up, end heavy blocks of stone were scattered
thickly upon it to impede the passage of chariots. The
archers were placed in front to harass the enemy attempt-
ing to cross. Behind them were the spearmen in readiness
to advance and aid them if pressed. The chariots were on
the higher ground in the rear ready to dash in and join in
the conflict should the enemy succeed in forcing their way
through the marsh.
The visit of inspection was scarcely finished when a cloud
of dust was seen rising over the plain. It approached rapidly.
The flash of arms could be seen in the sun, and presently a
vast number of horses were seen approaching in even line.
"Are they horsemen, father?" Amuba asked
.
"No, they are chariots, Amuba. The Egyptians do not,
like us, fight on horseback, although there may be a few
small bodies of horsemen with the army; their strength lies
in their chariots. See, they have halted; they have perceived
our ranks drawn up in order of battle."
The chariots drew up in perfect line, and as the clouds of


16
THE EGYPTIAN HOST.
dust blew away four lines of chariots could be made out
ranged at a distance of a hundred yards apart.
"There are about a thousand in each line," the king said,
"and this is but their advance guard; we have learned from
fugitives that there are fully fifteen thousand chariots with
their army."
"Is there no other place where they can pass this swamp,
father?"
"Not so well as here, Amuba; the valley deepens further
on, and the passage would be far more difficult than here.
Above, beyond the wood, there is a lake of considerable
extent, and beyond that the ground is broken and unsuited
for the action of chariots as far as the sea Besides, they
have come to fight us, and the pride of their king would not
permit of their making a detour. See, there is some great
personage, probably the king himself, advancing beyond their
ranks to reconnoitre the ground."
A chariot was indeed approaching the opposite brow of
the depression; there were two figures in it; by the side
walked numerous figures, who, although too far off to
be distinguished, were judged to be the attendants and
courtiers of the king. The sun flashed from the side of the
chariot, which appeared at this distance to be composed of
burnished gold. Great fans carried on wands shaded the
king from the heat of the sun.
He drove slowly along the edge of the brow until he
reached a point opposite the wood, and then, turning,
went the other way till he reached the causeway which
passed on through the village. After this he rode back to
the line of chariots and evidently gave a word of command,
for instantly the long line of figures seen above the horses
disappeared as the men stepped off the chariots to the ground.
No movement took place for an hour, then there was a
sudden stir, and the long lines broke up and wheeled round
to the right and left, where they took up their position in
two solid masses.
(481)


STRANGE GODS.
17
"The main army are at hand," the king said. "Do you
see that great cloud, ruddy in the setting sun? that is the
dust raised by their advance; in another hour they will be
here, but by that time the sun will have set, and assuredly
they will not attack until morning."
The front line were ordered to remain under arms for a
time; the others were told to fall out and prepare their food
for the night. The Egyptian army halted about a mile dis-
tant, and as soon as it was evident that no further move-
ment was intended, the whole of the soldiers were ordered
to fall out. A line of archers were placed along the edge of
the swamp, and ere long a party of Egyptian bowmen took
up their post along the opposite crest. Great fires were
lighted, and a number of oxen, which had been driven for-
ward in readiness, were slaughtered for food.
"If the Egyptians can see what is going on," the king
said to his son, "they must be filled with fury, for they
worship the oxen as among their chief gods."
"Is it possible, father, that they can believe that cattle
are gods?" Amuba asked in surprise.
"They do not exactly look upon them as gods, my son,
but as sacred to their gods. Similarly they reverence the
cat, the ibis, and many other creatures."
"How strange!" Amuba said. "Do they not worship, as
we and the Persians do, the sun, which, as all must see, is
the giver of light and heat, which ripens our crops and gives
fertility in abundance?"
"Not, so far as I know, Amuba; but I know that they
have many gods who they believe give them victory over
their enemies."
"They don't always give them victory," Amuba said,
"since four times they have been repulsed in their endeav-
ours to invade our land; perhaps our gods are more power-
ful than theirs."
"It may be that, my son; but so far as I can see the gods
give victory to the bravest and most numerous armies."
(481) b


18
"YOU ARE MY HEIR."
"That is to say they do not interfere at all, father."
"I do not say that, my son; we know little of the ways of
the gods. Each nation has its own, and as some nations
overthrow others, it must be that either some gods are more
powerful than others, or that they do not interfere to save
those who worship them from destruction. But these things
are all beyond our knowledge. We have but to do our
part bravely, and we need assuredly not fear the bulls and
the cats, and other creatures in which the Egyptians trust"
Some hours were spent by the king, his leaders, and his
captains in going about among the troops seeing that all
the contingents had arrived well armed and in good order,
notifying to the leaders of each the position they should
take up in the morning, and doing all in their power to
animate and encourage the soldiers. When all was done the
king sat down on a pile of skins which had been prepared
for him, and talked long and earnestly with his son, giving
him advice as to his conduct in future, if aught should befall
him in the coming fight
"You are my heir," he said, "and as is customary to the
country the throne goes down from father to son. Were I
to survive for another eight or ten years you would, of
course, succeed me, but should I fall to-morrow, and should
the Egyptians overrun the land, things may happen other-
wise. In that case the great need of the people would be a
military leader who would rouse them to prolonged resistance
and lead them again and again against the Egyptians until
these, worn out by the perpetual fighting, abandon the idea
of subjecting us, and turn their attention to less stubborn-
minded people.
"For such work you are far too young, and the people
would look to Amusis or one of my other captains as their
leader. Should success crown his efforts they may choose
him as their king. In that case I would say, Amuba, it
will be far better for you to acquiesce in the public choice
than to struggle against it A lad like you would have no


20
THE BATTLE BEGINS.
night on his couch of skins in a very different mood to that
in which he had ridden out; he had thought little of his
mother's forebodings, and had looked upon it as certain that
the Rebu would beat the Egyptians as they had done before,
but his father's tone showed him that he too felt by no
means confident of the issue of the day.
As soon as daylight broke the Rebu stood to their arms,
and an hour later dense masses of the Egyptians were seen
advancing. As soon as these reached the edge of the slope
and began to descend towards the stream, the king ordered
his people to advance to the edge of the swamp and to open
fire with their arrows.
A shower of missiles flew through the air and fell among
the ranks of the Egyptian footmen who had just arrived at
the edge of the swamp. So terrible was the discharge that
the Egyptians recoiled and, retreating half-way up the slope
where they would be beyond the reach of the Rebu, in turn
discharged their arrows. The superiority of the Egyptian
bowmen was at once manifest; they carried very powerful
bows, and standing sideways drew them to the ear, just as
the English archers did at Crecy, and therefore shot their
arrows a vastly greater distance than did their opponents,
who were accustomed to draw their bows only to the
breast.
Scores of the Rebu fell at the first discharge, and as the
storm of arrows continued, they, finding themselves power-
less to damage the Egyptians at that distance, retired
half-way up the side of the slope. Now from behind the
lines of the Egyptian archers a column of men advanced a
hundred abreast, each carrying a great faggot; their object
was evident, they were about to prepare a wide causeway
across the marsh by which the chariots could pass. Again
the Rebu advanced to the edge of the swamp and poured in
their showers of arrows; but the Egyptians, covering them-
selves with the bundles of faggots they carried, suffered but
little harm, while the Rebu were mown down by the arrows


A STORM OF ARROWS.
21
of the Egyptian archers shooting calmly and steadily beyond
the range of their missiles.
As soon as the front rank of the Egyptian column reached
the edge of the swampy ground the men of the front line
laid down their faggots in a close row, and then retired
in the intervals between their comrades behind them. Each
rank as it arrived at the edge did the same. Many fell
beneath the arrows of the Rebu, but the operation went on
steadily, the faggots being laid down two deep as the ground
became more marshy, and the Rebu saw, with a feeling ap-
proaching dismay, the gradual but steady advance of a
causeway two hundred yards wide across the swamp.
The king himself and his bravest captains, alighting from
their chariots, went down among the footmen and urged them
to stand firm, pointing out that every yard the causeway ad-
vanced their arrows inflicted more fatal damage among the
men who were forming it Their entreaties, however, were
vain; the ground facing the causeway was already thickly
encumbered with dead, and the hail of the Egyptian arrows
was so fast and deadly that even the bravest shrank from
withstanding it At last even their leaders ceased to urge
them, and the king gave the order for all to fall back beyond
the range of the Egyptian arrows.
Some changes were made in the formation of the troops, and
the best and most disciplined bands were placed facing the
causeway so as to receive the charge of the Egyptian chariots.
The two front lines were of spearmen, while on the highei
ground behind them were placed archers whose orders were
to shoot at the horses, and to pay no heed to those in the
chariots; then came the chariots, four hundred in number.
Behind these again was a deep line of spearmen; on the
right and left extending to the wood and village were the
main body of the army, who were to oppose the Egyptian
footmen advancing across the swamp.
The completion of the last portion of the causeway cost
the Egyptians heavily, for while they were exposed to the


22
THE FIGHT AT THE CAUSEWAY.
arrows of the Rebu archers these were now beyond the range
of the Egyptians on the opposite crest But at last the
work was completed. Just as it was finished and the work-
men had retired, the king leaped from his chariot, and, lead-
ing a body of a hundred men carrying blazing brands, dashed
down the slope. As soon as they were seen the Egyptian
archers ran forward and a storm of arrows was poured into
the little band. Two-thirds of them fell ere they reached
the causeway, the others applied their torches to the faggots.
The Egyptian footmen rushed across to extinguish the
flames, while the Rebu poured down to repel them. A
desperate fight ensued, but the bravery of the Rebu pre-
vailed, and the Egyptians were driven back . Their attack,
however, had answered its purpose, for in the struggle the
faggots had been trodden deeper into the mire, and the fire
was extinguished. The Rebu now went back to their first
position and waited the attack which they were powerless to
avert It was upwards of an hour before it began, then the
long line of Egyptian footmen opened, and their chariots
were seen fifty abreast, then with a mighty shout the whole
army advanced down the slope. The Rebu replied with
their war-cry.
At full speed the Egyptian chariots dashed down the
declivity to the causeway. This was the signal for the Rebu
archers to draw their bows, and in an instant confusion
was spread among the first line of chariots. The horses
wounded by the missiles plunged madly. Many, stepping
between the faggots, fell. For a moment the advance was
checked, but the Egyptian footmen, entering the swamp
waist-deep, opened such a terrible fire with their arrows
that the front line of the Rebu were forced to fall back,
and the aim of their archers became wild and uncertain.
In vain the king endeavoured to steady them. While he
was doing so, the first of the Egyptian chariots had already
made their way across the causeway, and behind them the
others poured on in an unbroken column. Then through


A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE.
23
the broken lines of spearmen the Rebu chariots dashed down
upon them, followed by the host of spearmen. The king's
object was to arrest the first onslaught of the Egyptians, to
overwhelm the leaders, and prevent the mass behind from
emerging from the crowded causeway.
The shock was terrible. Horses and chariots rolled over
in wild confusion, javelins were hurled, bows twanged, and
the shouts of the combatants and the cries of the wounded
as they fell beneath the feet of the struggling horses created
a terrible din. Light and active, the Rebu footmen mingled
in the fray, diving under the bellies of the Egyptian horses,
and inflicting vital stabs with their long knives or engaging
in hand-to-hand conflicts with the dismounted Egyptians.
Amuba had charged down with the rest of the chariots. He
was stationed in the second line, immediately behind his
father; and his charioteer, mindful of the orders he had re-
ceived, strove, in spite of the angry orders of the lad, to keep
the chariot stationary; but the horses, accustomed to man-
oeuvre in line, were not to be restrained, and in spite of their
driver's efforts charged down the slope with the rest
Amuba, who had hunted the lion and leopard, retained
his coolness, and discharged his arrows among the Egyptians
with steady aim. For a time the contest was doubtful.
The Egyptian chariots crowded on the causeway were unable
to move forward, and in many places their weight forced
the faggots so deep in the mire that the vehicles were im-
movable. Meanwhile, along the swamp on both sides a
terrible contest was going on. The Egyptians, covered by
the fire of their arrows, succeeded in making their way
across the swamp, but here they were met by the Rebu
spearmen, and the fight raged along the whole line.
Then two thousand chosen men, the body-guard of the
Egyptian king, made their way across the swamp close to
the causeway, while at the same time there was a movement
among the densely packed vehicles. A tremendous impulse
was given to them from behind: some were pressed off into


24
A CHARGE OF CHARIOTS.
the swamp, some were overthrown or trampled under foot,
some were swept forward on to the firm ground beyond,
and thus a mass of the heaviest chariots drawn by the most
powerful horses forced their way across the causeway over
all obstacles.
In their midst was the King of Egypt himself, the great
Thotmes.
The weight and impetus of the mass of horses and chariots
pressed all before it up the hill . This gave to the chariots
which came on behind room to open to the right and left
The king's body-guard shook the solid formation of the
Rebu spearmen with their thick flights of arrows, and the
chariots then dashed in among them. The Rebu fought with
the valour of their race. The Egyptians who first charged
among them fell pierced with their arrows, while their
horses were stabbed in innumerable places. But as the
stream of chariots poured over without a check, and charged
in sections upon them, bursting their way through the mass
of footmen by the force and fury with which they charged,
the infantry became broken up into groups, each fighting
doggedly and desperately.
At this moment the officer in command of the Rebu horse,
a thousand strong, charged down upon the Egyptian chariots,
drove them back towards the swamp, and for a time restored
the conflict; but the breaks which had occurred between the
Rebu centre and its two flanks had enabled the Egyptian
body-guard to thrust themselves through and to fall upon
the Rebu chariots and spearmen, who were still maintaining
the desperate conflict The Rebu king had throughout fought
in the front line of his men, inspiriting them with his voice
and valour. Many times, when his chariot was so jammed
in the mass that all movement was impossible, he leapt to
the ground, and, making his way through the throng, slew
many of the occupants of the Egyptian chariots.
But his efforts and those of his captains were unavailing.
The weight of the attack was irresistible. The solid phalanx


DEATH OF THE REBU KING.
25
of Egyptian chariots pressed onward, and the Rebu were
forced steadily back. Their chariots, enormously outnum-
bered, were destroyed rather than defeated . The horses fell
pierced by the terrible rain of arrows, and the wave of
Egyptians passed over them. The king, looking round in
his chariot, saw that all was lost here, and that the only
hope was to gain one or other of the masses of his infantry
on the flank, and to lead them off the field in solid order.
But as he turned to give orders, a shaft sent by a bowman
in a chariot a few yards away struck him in the eye, and he
fell back dead in his chariot.
CHAPTER IL
THE SIEGE OF THE CITY.
AMUBA saw his father fall, and leaping from his chariot,
strove to make his way through the mingled mass of
footmen and chariots to the spot . Jethro followed close
behind him. He, too, had caught sight of the falling figure,
and knew what Amuba did not—that the Rebu had lost
their king. He was not forgetful of the charge which had
been laid on him, but the lad was for a moment beyond his
control, and he, too, was filled with fury at the fall of the
king, and determined if possible to save his body. He
reached Amuba's side just in time to interpose his shield
between the boy and an Egyptian archer in a chariot he
was passing. The arrow pierced the shield and the arm that
held it . Jethro paused an instant, broke off the shaft at
the shield, and seizing the point, which was projecting
two inches beyond the flesh, pulled the arrow through the
wound.
It was but a moment's work, but short as it was it almost


26
AMUBA IS RESCUED.
cost Amuba his life, for the archer, leaning forward, dropt
the end of his bow over the lad's head—a trick common
among the Egyptian archers—and in a moment dragged him
to the ground, while his comrade in the chariot raised his
spear to despatch him. Jethro sprang forward with a shout
of rage, and with a blow of his sword struck off the head of
the spear as it was descending. Then shortening his sword,
he sprang into the chariot, ran the man holding the bow
through the body, and grappled with the spearman.
The struggle was a short one. Leaving his sword in the
body of the archer, Jethro drew his dagger and speedily
despatched his foe. Then he jumped down, and lifting
Amuba, who was insensible from the sharp jerk of the bow-
string upon his throat and the violence of his fall, carried
him back to his chariot This with the greatest difficulty
he managed to draw out of the heat of the conflict, which
was for the moment raging more fiercely than before. The
Rebu who had seen the fall of their king had dashed for-
ward to rescue the body and to avenge his death. They
cleared a space round him, and as it was impossible to extri-
cate his chariot, they carried his body through the chaos of
plunging horses, broken chariots, and fiercely struggling
men to the rear.
Then it was placed in another chariot, and the driver
started with it at full speed for the city. Jethro, on emerg-
ing from the crowd, paused for a moment to look round.
He saw at once that the battle was lost The centre was
utterly broken, and the masses of the Egyptians who had
crossed the swamp were pressing heavily on the flanks of the
Rebu footmen, who were still opposing a firm stand to those
attacking them in front For the moment the passage of the
Egyptian chariots was arrested; so choked was the causeway
with chariots and horses which were embedded in the mire,
or had sunk between the faggots, that further passage was
impossible, and a large body of footmen were now forming
a fresh causeway by the side of the other.


"AND THE KING, MY FATHER?"
27
This would soon be completed, for they were now working
undisturbed by opposition, and Jethro saw that as soon as
it was done the Egyptian host would sweep across and fall
upon the rear of the Rebu. Jethro ran up to two mounted
men, badly wounded, who had like himself made their way
out of the fight.
"See," he said, "in a quarter of an hour a new causeway
will be completed, and the Egyptians will pour over. In
that case resistance will be impossible, and all will be lost.
Do one of you ride to each flank and tell the captains that
the king is dead, that there are none to give orders here,
and that their only chance to save their troops is to retreat
at full speed but keeping good order to the city."
The horsemen rode oft' immediately, for Jethro, as the
king's own charioteer, was a man of some importance. After
despatching the messengers he returned to his chariot and
at once drove off. Amuba was now recovering, and the
rough motion of the vehicle as it dashed along at full speed
aroused him.
"What is it, Jethro? What has happened?"
"The battle is lost, prince, and I am conveying you back
to the city. You have had a rough fall and a narrow escape
of your life, and can do no more fighting even if fighting
were of any good, which it is not."
"And the king, my father?" Amuba said, struggling to
his feet. "What of him? Did I not see him fall?"
"I know nought of him for certain," Jethro replied.
"There was a terrible fight raging, and as I had you to
carry out I could take no share in it . Besides, I had an
arrow through my left arm—if I had been a moment later it
would have gone through your body instead. And now, if
you do not mind taking the reins, I will bandage it up. I
have not had time to think about it yet, but it is bleeding
fast, and I begin to feel faint."
This was indeed true; but Jethro had called Amuba's
attention to his wound principally for the sake of diverting


28
FLIGHT.
his thoughts for a moment from his fear for his father. As
Amuba drove, he looked back. The plain behind him was
covered with a mass of fugitives.
"I see that all is lost," he said mournfully. "But how is
it that we are not pursued?"
"We shall be pursued before long," Jethro answered.
"But I fancy that few of the Egyptian chariots which first
passed are in a condition to follow. Most of them have lost
horses or drivers. Numbers were broken to pieces in the
melee. But they are making a fresh causeway, and when
that is completed those who cross will take up the pursuit.
As for their footmen, they have small chance of catching
the Rebu."
"Surely our men ought to retreat in good order, Jethro.
Scattered as they are, they will be slaughtered in thousands
by the Egyptian chariots."
"They could not oppose much resistance to them anyhow,"
Jethro replied. "On a plain footmen cannot withstand a
chariot charge. As it is, many will doubtless fall; but they
will scatter to the right and left, numbers will reach the hills
in safety, some will take refuge in woods and jungles, while
many will outrun the chariots. The new causeway is narrow,
and a few only can cross abreast, and thus, though many of
our men will be overtaken and killed, I trust that the greater
part will escape."
"Let us draw up here for a short time, Jethro. I see
there are several chariots and some horsemen behind, and as
they are with the main body of the fugitives, they are doubt-
less friends. Let us join them, and proceed in a body to the
town. I should not like to be the first to enter with the news
of our defeat"
"You are right, prince. As our horses are good, we need
not fear being overtaken. We can therefore wait a few
minutes."
A score of chariots presently came up, and all halted on
seeing Amuba. One of them contained Amusis, the chief


"WE MUST HASTEN."
29
captain of the army. He leaped from his chariot when he
saw Amuba, and advanced to him.
"Prince," he said, "why do you delay? I rejoice at see-
ing that you have escaped in the battle, for I marked you
bravely fighting in the midst; but let me beg you to
hasten on. A few minutes and the host of Egyptian chariots
will be upon us."
"I am ready to proceed, Amusis, since you have come.
Have you any news of my father?"
"The king has been sorely wounded," the general said,
"and was carried off out of the battle; but come, prince, we
must hasten oa Our presence will be sorely needed in the
city, and we must get all in readiness for defence before the
Egyptians arrive."
The chariots again started, and reached the city without
seeing anything of the Egyptians, who did not indeed arrive
before the walls until an hour later, having been delayed by
the slaughter of the fugitives. As the party entered the
town they found confusion and terror prevailing. The
arrival of the body of the king was the first intimation of
disaster, and this had been followed by several horsemen
and chariots, who had spread the news of the defeat of the
army. The cries of women filled the air; some in their
grief and terror ran wildly here and there; some-sat at
their doors with their faces hidden by their hands, wailing
loudly; others tore their garments and behaved as if de-
mented.
On their way to the palace they met the troops who had
been left behind to guard the city, moving down stern and
silent to take their places on the wall. During the drive
Amusis, who had driven in Amuba's chariot, had broken to
the boy the news that his father was dead, and Amuba was
prepared for the loud lamentation of women which met him
as he entered the royal inclosure.
"I will see my mother," he said to Amusis, "and then 1
will come down with you to the walls and will take what-


30
"THANK THE GODS, MY SON."
ever part you may assign me in the defence. It is to your
experience and valour we must now trust"
"I will do all that I can, prince. The walls are strong,
and if, as I hope, the greater part of our army find their way
back, I trust we may be able to defend ourselves successfully
against the Egyptian host Assure your royal mother of my
deep sympathy for her in her sorrow, and of my devotion
to her personally."
The general now drove off, and Amuba entered the royal
dwellings. In the principal apartment the body of the king
was laid upon a couch in the middle of the room. The
queen stood beside it in silent grief, while the attendants
raised loud cries, wrung their hands, and filled the air with
their lamentation, mingled with praises of the character and
bravery of the king. Amuba advanced to his mother's side.
She turned and threw her arms round him.
"Thank the gods, my son, that you are restored to me;
but what a loss, what a terrible loss is ours!"
"It is indeed, mother. No better father ever lived than
mine. But I pray you, mother, 'ay aside your grief for a
while; we shall have time to weep and mourn for him
afterwards. We have need of all our courage. In a few
hours the Egyptian hosts will be before our walls, and every
arm will be needed for their defence. I am going down to
take my place among the men, to do what I can to encourage
them; but the confusion in the city is terrible. None know
whether they have lost husbands or fathers, and the cries
and lamentations of the women cannot but dispirit and dis-
hearten the men. I think, mother, that you might do much
if you would; and I am sure that my father in his resting-
place with the gods would far rather see you devoting your-
self to the safety of his people than to lamentations here."
"What would you have me do?"
"I should say, mother, mount a chariot and drive through
the streets of the town; bid the women follow the example
of their queen and defer their lamentation for the fallen


A NOBLE EXAMPLE.
31
until the foe has been repelled. Bid each do her part in
the defence of the city; there is work for all—stones to be
carried to the walls, food to be cooked for the fighting men,
hides to be prepared in readiness to be carried to the ram-
parts where the attack is hottest, to shield our soldiers from
arrows. In these and other tasks all can find employment,
and, in thus working for the defence of the town, the women
would find distraction from their sorrows and anxieties."
"Your advice is wise, Amuba, and I will follow it Order
a chariot to be brought down. My maidens shall come with
me; and see that two trumpeters are in readiness to precede
us. This will ensure attention and silence, and my words
will be heard as we pass along. How did you escape from
the conflict?"
"The faithful Jethro bore me off, mother, or I, too, should
have fallen; and now, with your permission, I will go to the
wall."
"Do so, Amuba, and may the gods preserve you. You
must partake of some food before you go, for you will need
all your strength, my son."
Amuba hastily ate the food that was placed before him
in another apartment, and drank a goblet of wine, and then
hurried down to the wall.
The scene was a heart-rending one. All over the plain
were scattered groups of men hurrying towards the city,
while among them dashed the Egyptian chariots, overthrow-
ing and slaying them; but not without resistance. The Rebu
were well disciplined, and, as the chariots thundered up,
little groups gathered together, shield overlapping shield,
and spears projecting, while those within the circle shot
their arrows or whirled stones from their slings. The
horses wounded by the arrows often refused to obey their
drivers, but rushed headlong across the plain; others charged
up only to fall pierced with the spears, while the chariots
were often empty of their occupants before they broke into
the phalanx


32
HOPE RESTORED.
Thus, although many fell, many succeeded in gaining
the gates of the town, and the number of men available for
the defence had already largely increased when Amuba
reached the walls. Although the Egyptian chariots came
up in great numbers, night fell without the appearance of
the main body of the Egyptian army. After darkness set in
great numbers of the Rebu troops who had escaped to the
hills made their way into the town. The men of the con-
tingents furnished by the other Rebu cities naturally made
their way direct to their homes, but before morning the six
thousand men left behind to guard the city when the army
set out had been swelled to four times their numbers.
Although this was little more than half the force which
had marched out to battle, the return of so large a number
of the fugitives caused a great abatement of the panic and
misery that had prevailed. The women whose husbands or
sons had returned rejoiced over those whom they had re-
garded as lost, while those whose friends had not yet returned
gained hopes from the narratives of the fresh comers that
their loved ones might also have survived, and would ere
long make their way back. The example of the queen had
already done much to restore confidence. All knew the
affection that existed between the king and her, and the
women all felt that if she could lay aside her deep sorrow,
and set such an example of calmness and courage at such a
time, it behoved all others to set aside their anxieties and
to do their best for the defence of the town.
Amusis gave orders that all those who had returned from
battle should rest for the night in their homes, the troops
who had remained in the city keeping guard upon the walls.
In the morning, however, all collected at the trumpet-call,
and were formed up according to the companies and batta-
lions to which they belonged. Of some of these which had
borne the brunt of the combat there were but a handful of
survivors, while of others the greater portion were present;
weak battalions were joined to the strong, fresh officers were


THE CITY OF THE REBU.
33
appointed to take the place of those who were missing; the
arms were examined, and all deficiencies made good from
the public stores.
Ten thousand men were set aside as a reserve to be
brought up to the points most threatened, while to the rest
were allotted those portions of the wall which they were to
occupy. As soon as morning broke the women recommenced
the work that had been interrupted by night, making their
way to the walls in long trains, carrying baskets of stones
on their heads. Disused houses were pulled down for the
sake of their stones and timber, parties of women with
ropes dragging the latter to the walls in readiness to be
hurled down upon the heads of the enemy. Even the children
joined in the work, carrying small baskets of earth to those
portions of the wall which Amusis had ordered to be
strengthened.
The position of the city had been chosen with a view to
defence. It stood on a plateau of rock raised some fifty feet
above the plain. The Caspian washed its eastern face; on
the other three sides a high wall, composed of earth roughly
faced with stones, ran along at the edge of the plateau, above
it, at distances of fifty yards apart, rose towers. The entire
circuit of the walls was about three miles. Since its foun-
dation by the grandfather of the late king the town had
never been taken, although several times besieged, and the
Rebu had strong hopes that here, when the chariots of the
Egyptians were no longer to be feared, they could oppose
a successful resistance to all the efforts of the enemy.
At noon the Egyptian army was seen advancing, and,
confident as the defenders of the city felt, they could not
resist a feeling of apprehension at the enormous force which
was seen upon the plain. The Egyptian army was over
three hundred thousand strong. It moved in regular order
according to the arms or nationality of the men. Here
were Nubians, Sardinians, Etruscans, Oscans, Dauni, Maxyes,
Kahaka a race from Iberia, and bodies of other mercenaries
(181 ) C


34
A MIGHTY ARMY.
from every tribe and people with whom the Egyptians had
any dealings.
The Sardinians bore round shields, three or four spears
or javelins, a long straight dagger, and a helmet surmounted
by a spike, with a ball at the top. The Etruscans carried no
shields, and instead of the straight dagger were armed with
a heavy curved chopping-knife; their head-dress resembled
somewhat in shape that now worn by the Armenians. The
Dauni were Greek in the character of their arms, carrying a
round shield, a single spear, a short straight sword, and a
helmet of the shape of a cone.
The Egyptians were divided according to their arms.
There were regiments of archers, who carried, for close com-
bat, a slightly-curved stick of heavy wood; other regiments
of archers carried hatchets. The heavy infantry all bore the
Egyptian shield, which was about three feet long. It was
widest at the upper part, where it was semicircular, while
the bottom was cut off straight The shields had a boss
near the upper part Some regiments carried, in addition
to the spears, heavy maces, others axes. Their helmets all
fitted closely to the head; most of them wore metal tassels
hanging from the top. The helmets were for the most part
made of thick material, quilted and padded; these were pre-
ferred to metal, being a protection from the heat of the sun.
Each company carried its own standard; these were all
of religious character, and represented animals sacred to the
gods, sacred boats, emblematic devices, or the names of the
king or queen. These were in metal, and were raised at
the end of spears or staves. The standard-bearers were all
officers of approved valour. Behind the army followed an
enormous baggage-train; and as soon as this had arrived on
the ground the tents of the king and the principal officers
were pitched.
"What a host!" Jethro said to Amuba, who, after having
his arm dressed on his arrival at the palace, had accompanied
the young prince to the walls. "It seems a nation rather


THE CHANCES OF DEFENCE.
35
than an army. I do not wonder now that we were defeated
yesterday, but that we so long held our ground, and that so
many escaped from the battle."
"It is wonderful, truly, Jethro. Look at the long line of
chariots moving in as regular order as the footmen. It is
well for us that they will now be forced to be inactive. As
to the others, although they are countless in numbers, they
cannot do much against our walls. No towers that they
can erect upon the plains will place them on a level with us
here, and the rock is so steep that it is only here and there
that it can be climbed."
"It would seem impossible for them to take it, prince;
but we must not be too confident We know that many
towns which believed themselves impregnable have been
captured by the Egyptians, and must be prepared for the
most daring enterprises. The gates have been already
fastened, and so great a thickness of rocks piled against them,
that they are now the strongest part of the wall; those parts
of the roads leading up to them that were formed of timber
have been burned, and they cannot now reach the gates ex-
cept by climbing, as at other points. We have provisions
enough to last for well-nigh a year, for all the harvest has
been brought in from the whole district round, together with
many thousands of cattle; of wells there are abundance."
"Yes, I heard the preparations that were being made,
Jethro, and doubt not that if we can resist the first on-
slaught of the Egyptians we can hold out far longer than
they can, for the difficulty of victualling so huge an army will
be immense. In what way do you think they will attack?
For my part I do not see any method which offers a hope
of success."
"That I cannot tell you. We know that to us and to the
peoples around our cities seem impregnable. But the Egyp-
tians are skilled in all the devices of war. They have laid
siege to and captured great numbers of cities, and are
doubtless full of plans and expedients of which we know


36
A SOLEMN COUNCIL.
nothing. However, to-morrow morning will show us some-
thing. Nothing will be attempted to-day. The generals
have first to inspect our walls and see where the assault is
to be delivered, and the army will be given a day's rest at
least before being called upon to assault such a position."
In the afternoon a cortege of chariots made the circuit of
the walls from the shore of the sea round the great plateau
to the sea again, keeping just beyond the range of arrows.
"If we had but a few of their archers here," Jethro said,
"the Egyptian king would not be so over bold in venturing
so near. It is wonderful how strongly they shoot. Their
arrows have fully double the range of ours, and their power
is sufficient to carry them through the strongest shields, ever
when strengthened with metal. Had I not seen it I should
have thought it impossible that living men, and those no
bigger or stronger than we, could have sent their arrows
with such power. They stand in a different attitude to that
of our archers, and though their shafts are fully a foot longer
than ours they draw them to the head. I regarded myself
as a good bowman till I met the Egyptians, and now I feel as
a child might do when watching a man performing feats of
strength of which he had not even imagined a possibility."
In the evening the great council met. It included all the
principal officers of the army, the priests, the royal coun-
cillors, and the leading men in the state. After a discussion
it was determined that in the present crisis it were best to
postpone taking any steps to appoint a successor to the late
king, but that so long as the siege lasted Amusis should be
endowed with absolute powers. In order that there should
be no loss of time for the necessity of consulting anyone
Amuba was present with his mother at the council, though
neither of them took any active part in it . But at its
commencement an announcement was made in their name
that they were willing to abide by whatever the council
should decide, and that indeed both mother and son desired
that while this terrible danger hung over the state the


CREMATION OF THE KINO.
37
supreme power should be placed in the hands of whomso-
ever the general voice might select as the person best fitted
to take the command in such an extremity.
That night the body of the king was consumed on a great
funeral pile. Under ordinary occasions the ceremony would
have taken place on a narrow promontory jutting out into
the sea, about five miles from the city. Here the previous
monarchs had been consumed in sight of a multitude of
their people, and had been buried beneath great mounds of
earth. The priests had long ago pronounced this place the
most sacred in the kingdom, and had declared that the anger
of the gods would fall upon any who ventured to set foot
upon the holy ground. But it was impossible for the present
to lay the ashes of the king by the side of those of his fore-
fathers, and the ceremony was therefore conducted within
the royal inclosure, only the officiating priests and the wife
and son of the deceased being present When all was over
the ashes were collected and were placed in a casket, which
was destined, when better times returned, to be laid, in the
sight of the whole people, in the sacred inclosure on the
promontory.
Early next morning the trumpets of the guards on the
walls called all the troops to arms. As soon as Amuba
reached his post he saw the Egyptian army marching
against the city. When they arrived within bow-shot the
archers, who formed the front lines, opened fire upon the
defenders on the walls. Their arrows, however, for the most
part fell short, while those of the besieged rained down
upon them with effect .They were therefore withdrawn a
short distance, and contracting their ranks a vast number of
footmen poured through, and in irregular order ran forward
to the foot of the rock, where they were sheltered from the
arrows of those on the wall.
"What can they be going to do now?" Amuba ex-
claimed, laying aside his bow.
Jethro shook his head.


38
SCALING THE ROCK.
"They are working with a plan," he said. "We shall see
before very long. Listen."
Even above the din caused by so vast a multitude a sharp
metallic sound was presently heard like that of innumerable
hammers striking on steel.
"Surely," Amuba exclaimed, "they can never be thinking
of quarrying the rock away! That is too great a task even
were the whole people of Egypt here."
"It certainly is not that," Jethro agreed; "and yet I
cannot think what else can be their intentions."
It was nigh an hour before the mystery was solved.
Then, at the blast of a trumpet sounded at the post
where the Egyptian king had placed himself, and taken up
along the whole of the line, a great number of heads ap-
peared along the edge of rock at the foot of the walls.
The Egyptians had been employed in driving spikes in the
crevices of the rock. Standing on the first so driven, they
then inserted others three feet higher, and so had proceeded
until a number of men had climbed up the face of the rock
.
These let down ropes, and ladders had been hauled up the
steepest places. Great numbers of ropes were hung down to
assist those who followed in the ascent, and the men who first
showed themselves over the brow were followed by a stream
of others, until the ledge, which was in most cases but a few
feet wide, was crowded with soldiers.
The ladders were now hauled up and placed against the
wall, and the Egyptians swarmed up in great numbers; but
the Rebu were prepared for the assault, and a storm of
stones, beams of wood, arrows, javelins, and other missiles
rained down on the Egyptians. Many of the ladders, in spite
of the number of men upon them, were thrown back by the
defenders, and fell with a crash over the edge of the rock to
the plain below. Here and there the Egyptians gained a
footing on the wall before the Rebu had recovered from
their first surprise at their daring manner of attack; but so
soon as they rallied they attacked the Egyptians with such


A FOOTHOLD OBTAINED.
39
fury that in every case the latter were slain fighting or were
thrown over the embattlements.
For several hours the Egyptians continued their efforts,
but after losing vast numbers of men without obtaining any
success they were recalled by the sound of the trumpet
"That has not been very serious, Jethro," Amuba said,
wiping the perspiration from his forehead; for he had been
encouraging the men by assisting in the lifting and casting
over the massive stones and beams of wood.
"It was not difficult to repulse them under such condi-
tions," Jethro said; "but the manner of their attack was a
surprise indeed to us, and they have fought with the
greatest bravery. You will see that the next time they
will have benefited by the lesson, and that we shall have
some new device to cope with. Now that they have once
found a way to scale the rock we may expect but little rest"
The fight was not renewed until evening, when, just as
darkness fell, a large number of the Egyptians again as-
cended the rock. As before, the Rebu poured missiles down
upon them; but this time only a sufficient number had
climbed up to be able to stand along close to the foot of the
wall, where they were to a great extent sheltered from the
missiles from above. The night was a dark one, and all
night long the Rebu continued to shower down missiles upon
their invisible foe, of whose continued presence they were
assured by the sounds which from time to time were heard
.
When daylight enabled the defenders to see what was
going on at the foot of their walls they raised a shout of
surprise and dismay. During the night the Egyptians had
hoisted up by ropes a quantity of the timber brought with
them for the construction of shelters for those who were
engaged on siege operations. The timbers were all cut and
prepared for fitting together, and were easily jointed even
in the dark . Thus then, when the besiegers looked over,
they saw forty or fifty of these shelters erected against the
foot of their walls. They were so formed that they sloped


40
UNDEFINED FEARS.
down like a pent-house and were thickly covered with
hides.
The besieged soon found that so solid were these con-
structions that the beams and great stones which they
dropped upon them simply bounded off and leapt down into
the plain. Ladders fastened together had been fixed by the
Egyptians from each of these shelters to the plain below, so
that the men at work could be relieved or reinforced as the
occasion required.
In vain the besieged showered down missiles, in vain
poured over the cauldrons of boiling oil they had prepared
in readiness. The strength of the beams defied the first,
the hides lapping over each other prevented the second from
penetrating to those below.
"Truly these are terrible foes, prince," Jethro said. "I
told you that we might expect new plans and devices, but
I did not think that the very day after the siege began we
should find that they had overcome all the difficulties of our
natural defences, and should have established themselves in
safety at the foot of our walls."
"But what is to l>e done, Jethro? The men working in
those shelters will speedily dislodge these stones facing the
walls, and will then without difficulty dig through the earth-
work behind."
"The matter is serious," Jethro agreed; "but as yet there
is no reason to alarm ourselves. The greater portion of our
troops will be assembled behind the wall, and should the
Egyptians gain a way through we should pour in at the
openings, and, as they can be only reinforced slowly, would
speedily hurl them all over the edge of the cliff. It is not
that I fear."
"What is it that you do fear, Jethro?"
"I fear, prince, because I do not know what it is I have
to fear. We are as children in a struggle of this kind as
opposed to the Egyptians. Already they have wholly over-
thrown all our calculations, and it is just because T do not


A MYSTERY.
41
know what they will do next that I am afraid. It must be
as plain to them as it is to us, that if they dig through the
walls we shall rush in and overpower them."
"Perhaps they intend to work right and left and to under-
mine the walls, until large portions of them tumble over and
breaches are made."
Jethro shook his head.
"That would destroy the Egyptian shelters and bury their
workmen; or, even did they manage to retire before the
walls fell, they would gain nothing by it In fact, I wish that
we ourselves could tumble the walls over, for in that case
the heap of earth and stones would rise from the very edge
of the rock, and as the Egyptians could only climb up in
small numbers at a time, we could destroy them without
difficulty. I see now that our builders made a mistake in
surrounding the city with a high wall; it would have been
best to have built a mere breastwork at the very edge of the
cliff all round. Here comes Amusis; we shall hear what
his opinion of the matter is."
Amusis looked flushed and anxious, although, when he saw
the prince, he assumed an expression of carelessness.
"The Egyptians are going to burrow through our walls,"
he said; "but when they do we will drive them like rats out
of the holes. Do you not think so, Jethro?"
"I do not know," Jethro said gravely. "If they dig
through our walls we shall certainly, as you say, drive them
out of their holes; but I cannot believe that that is what
they are going to do."
"What do you think they are going to do 1" Amusis asked
roughly.
"I have no idea, Amusis. 1 wish that I had; but I am
quite sure that they haven't taken all this trouble for
nothing."


42
A FALSE CONFIDENCE,
CHAPTER lit
CAPTIVE.
SO confident were the Rebu that if the Egyptians dug
through their walls, or even threw them down by
undermining them, they could repel their assault, that they
took but little heed to the huts established at the foot of
the wall, except that a strong body of men were stationed
behind the walls, half of whom were always to be under
arms in readiness to repel the Egyptians should they bur-
row through. This confidence proved their ruin. The
Egyptians were thoroughly accustomed to mining opera-
tions, and were fully aware that were they to pierce the
wall the Rebu could at once overwhelm the small working
parties; they therefore, after penetrating a considerable dis-
tance into the embankment, drove right and left making
an excavation of considerable size, the roof being supported
by beams and planks hauled up at night
The number of those employed in the work was increased
as fast as there was room for them; and, while the Rebu
thought that there were at most a dozen men in each of the
sheltered places, there were, at the end of twenty-four hours,
fully two hundred men at work in the heart of the embank-
ment at each point The Egyptian king had ordered the
chief of his engineers to have everything in readiness for the
capture of the city by the end of the third day.
Each night the numbers of workmen increased, while the
excavations were carried in further and further. No picks
were used in the work, the earth being cut away with wide
daggers. Absolute silence was enjoined among the workers,
and they were thus enabled to extend their excavations close
to the surface without the defenders having an idea
of their proximity. The distance that they were from the


A NIGHT SURPRISE.
43
inner face was ascertained by boring through at night-time
with spears. By the end of the third day the excavations
had been carried so far that there was but a foot or so of
earth remaining, this being kept from moving, on pressure
from the outside, by a lining of boards supported by beams.
Thus at twenty points the Egyptians were in readiness to
burst through among the unsuspecting defenders.
As soon as it was dark the preparations for the assault
began. Great numbers of stagings of vast length had been
prepared, together with an immense number of broad and
lofty ladders. These last were brought forward noiselessly
to the foot of the cliff, and great numbers of the Egyptians
mounted before the alarm was given by those on the walls.
But by this time the excavations were all crowded with men.
The Egyptian army now advanced with shouts to the assault.
The great stages were brought forward by the labour of
thousands of men and placed against the cliff.
The besieged had now rushed to defend the walls, and
volleys of missiles of all sorts were poured down upon the
Egyptians as they strove to mount the ladders and stages.
No one thought of any possible danger from the little shelters
lying at the foot of the wall, and the din was so great that
the work of digging through the remaining wall of earth was
unheard. The troops who had been specially told off to
watch these points had joined their comrades on the walls,
and none marked the stream of dark figures which presently
began to pour out from the embankment at twenty different
points.
At last the besieged, whose hopes were rising as the
Egyptians appeared to falter under the showers of missiles
poured down, were startled by the sound of a trumpet in
their rear—a sound which was answered instantly from a
score of points. Rushing with cries of dismay to the back
of the rampart, they saw dark bodies of footmen drawn up
in regular order, and a rain of arrows was opened upon them.
The Rebu, without a moment's hesitation, rushed down to


44
A TERRIBLE CONFLICT.
attack the foes who had gained a footing, they scarce knew
how, in their fortress. But each of the Egyptian companies
was four hundred strong, composed of picked troops, and
these for a time easily beat off the irregular attacks of the
Rebu.
Amusis and the other leaders of the Rebu strove to get
their men into solid order, for so alone could they hope to
break the phalanxes of the Egyptians; but the confusion was
too great In the meantime the Egyptians outside had taken
advantage of the diversion created by the attack within, and
poured up their ladders and stagings in vast numbers. Some
dragging up ladders after them planted them against the
walls, others poured through by the passages which had been
dug, and these, as soon as they were numerous enough, as-
cended the embankments from behind and fell upon the
Rebu still defending the wall.
Never did the tribesmen fight with greater bravery; but
the completeness of the surprise, the number of the Egyptians
who had established themselves in their rear, the constant
pushing in of reinforcements both through and over the wall,
rendered it impossible for them to retrieve their fortunes;
and in the confusion and darkness they were unable to
distinguish friend from foe. The various battalions and
companies were hopelessly mixed together; the orders of
their leaders and officers were unheard in the din.
Upon the Egyptian side everything had been carefully
planned. One of the companies which first entered had
made their way quietly along the foot of the wall, and were
not noticed until they suddenly threw themselves upon the
defenders of one of the gates. As soon as they had obtained
possession of this great fires were lighted, and a large body
of Egyptian troops, headed by engineers carrying beams and
planks, advanced. The gaps across the roadway were bridged
over, and the Egyptians poured in at the gate before the Rebu
could dislodge the party which had taken possession of it
Every moment added to the confusion of the scene. To the


WAITING FOR MORNING.
45
Rebu it seemed as if their foes were springing from the very
earth upon them, and, despairing of regaining the ground
that had been lost, they began to break away and make
some for their homes, some for the water face of the city—
the only one which was open to them, for the Egyptians were
now pressing forward from the three other faces of the town.
The boats lying along the sand were quickly crowded with
fugitives and pushed off from shore, and those who arrived
later found all means of escape gone. Some threw down
their arms and made their way to their homes, others ran
back to meet the Egyptians and die fighting.
It was some hours before the conflict ceased, for the
Egyptians too were confused with the darkness, and many
desperate fights took place between different battalions be-
fore they discovered they were friends. Light was gained
by firing numbers of the houses lying nearest to the walls;
but as soon as the Egyptians advanced beyond the arc of
light they were fiercely attacked by the Rebu, and at last
the trumpet sounded the order for the troops to remain in
the positions they occupied until daylight
As soon as morning broke a vast crowd of women were
seen advancing from the centre of the town. As they neared
the Egyptians they threw themselves on the ground with
loud cries for mercy. There was a pause; and then some
Egyptian officers advanced and bade a score of the women fol-
low them to the presence of the king. Thotines had entered
with the troops who made their way into the city by the
gate, but yielding to the entreaties of the officers that he
would not expose himself to be killed in the confusion, per-
haps by an arrow shot by his own soldiers, he had retired
to the plain, and had just returned to take part in the
occupation of the city.
The Rebu women were led to him over ground thickly
covered with dead. Fully half the defenders of the city had
fallen, while the loss of the Egyptians had been almost as
large. The women threw themselves on their faces before


46
SUBMISSION.
the great monarch and implored mercy for themselves, their
children, and the remnant of the men of the city.
Thotmes was well satisfied. He had captured a city which
was regarded as impregnable; he had crushed the people
who had inflicted defeats upon his predecessors; he had
added to his own glory and to the renown of the Egyptian
arms. The disposition of the Egyptians was lenient. Human
sacrifices were unknown to their religion, and they do not
appear at any time to have slain in cold blood captives taken
in war. Human life was held at a far higher value in Egypt
than among any other nation of antiquity, and the whole
teaching of their laws tended to create a disposition towards
mercy.
An interpreter translated to the king the words of the
women.
"Has all resistance ceased?" the king asked. "Have all
the men laid down their arms?"
The women exclaimed that there was not now an armed
man in the city, all the weapons having been collected dur-
ing the night and placed in piles in the open space in front
of the entrance to the palace.
"Then I give to all their lives," the king said graciously.
"When I fight with cowards I have little mercy upon them,
for men who are not brave are unfit to live; but when I
fight with men I treat them as men. The Rebu are a valiant
people, but as well might the jackal fight with the lion as
the Rebu oppose themselves to the might of Egypt. They
fought bravely in the field, and they have bravely defended
their walls; therefore I grant life to all in the city—men,
women, and children. Where is your king?"
"He died in the battle four days since," the women replied.
"Where is your queen?"
"She drank poison last night, preferring to join her hus-
band than to survive the capture of the city."
Thotmes had now ordered the whole of the inhabitants
to be taken out to the plain and kept there under a guard.


THE EGYPTIAN DEMANDS.
47
The town was then methodically searched and everything
of value brought together. The king set aside a certain
portion of the golden vessels for the services of the Temple,
some he chose for himself, and after presenting others to
his generals, ordered the rest to be divided among the
troops. He then ordered a hundred captives—fifty young
men and fifty maidens of the highest rank—to be selected
to be taken to Egypt as slaves, and then fixed the tribute
which the Rebu were in future to pay. The army then
evacuated the city and the inhabitants were permitted to
return.
The next day messengers arrived from the other Rebu
towns. The fall of the capital, which had been believed to
be impregnable, after so short a siege had struck terror into
the minds of all, and the messengers brought offers of sub-
mission to the king, with promises to pay any tribute that
he might lay upon them.
The king, well satisfied with his success and anxious to
return to Egypt, from which he had been absent nearly two
years, replied graciously to the various deputations, inform-
ing them that he had already fixed the tribute that the
nation was to pay annually, and ordered a contribution to
be sent in at once by each city in proportion to its size. In
a few days the required sums, partly in money, partly in
vessels of gold, embroidered robes, and other articles of
value, were brought in. When the full amount had been
received the camp was struck and the army started on their
long march back to Egypt, an officer of high rank being left
as governor of the newly-captured province, with ten thousand
men as a garrison.
Amuba was one of the fifty selected as slaves. Amusis had
escaped in the confusion, as had many others. Jethro was
also one of the selected band . Amuba was for a time care-
less of what befell him. The news of the death of his
mother, which had met him as, after fighting to the last, he
returned to the palace, had been a terrible blow, following


48
A LAST MESSAGE.
as it did so closely upon the loss of his father and the over-
throw of the nation. His mother had left the message for
him that, although as life had no longer a charm for her, she
preferred death to the humiliation of being carried a prisoner
to Egypt, she trusted that he would bear the misfortunes
which had fallen on him and his people with submission and
patience; he was young, and there was no saying what the
future had in store for him.
"You will doubtless, my son," were the words of her
message, "be carried away captive into Egypt, but you may
yet escape some day and rejoin your people, or may meet
with some lot in which you may find contentment or even
happiness there. At any rate my last words to you are, bear
patiently whatever may befall you, remember always that
your father was King of the Rebu, and, whatever your
station in life may be, try to be worthy of the rank to
which you were born. There is no greater happiness on a
throne than in a cottage. Men make their own happiness,
and a man may be respected even though only a slave.
May the gods of your country preside over and protect you
always."
The message was delivered by an old woman who had
been with the queen since her birth, and, struck down with
grief as Amuba was at his mother's death, he yet acknow-
ledged to himself that even this loss was less hard to bear
than the knowledge that she who had been so loved and
honoured by the people should undergo the humiliation of
being dragged a slave in the train of the conquering Egyp-
tians. He was, however, so prostrate with grief that he
obeyed with indifference the order to leave the city, and was
scarcely moved when the Egyptian officer appointed to make
the selection chose him as one of the party that were to be
taken as slaves to Egypt
Prostrate as he was, however, he felt it to be a satisfaction
and comfort when he found that Jethro was also of the party
set aside.


JETHRO'S PHILOSOPHY.
49
"It is selfish, Jethro," he said, "for me to feel glad that
you too are to be dragged away as a slave, but it will be
a great comfort to have you with me. I know almost all
the others of the party, but to none shall I be able to talk
of my father and mother and my home here as I should to
you whom I have known so long."
"I am not sorry that I have been chosen," Jethro said,
"for I have no family ties, and now that the Rebu are a
conquered people I should have little satisfaction in my
life here. When we get to Egypt we shall probably be
separated, but there is a march of months' duration before
us, and during that time we may at least be together; since,
then, my being with you is as you say, prince, a comfort to
you, I am well content that I have been chosen. I thought
it a hard thing when my wife died but a few weeks after
our marriage. Now I rejoice that it was so, and that I can
leave without anyone's heart being wrung at my departure.
You and I, prince, perhaps of all those chosen will feel the
least misery at the fate that has befallen us. Most of those
here are leaving wives and children behind; some of the
youngest are still unmarried, but they have fathers and
mothers from whom they will be separated. Therefore, let
us not bemoan our lot, for it might have been worse, and
our life in Egypt may not be wholly unbearable."
"That is just what my dear mother said, Jethro," Amuba
replied, repeating the message the queen had sent him.
"My dear mistress was right," Jethro said. "We may
find happiness in Egypt as elsewhere; and now let us try to
cheer up our companions, for in cheering them we shall
forget our own misfortunes."
Jethro and Amuba went among the rest of the captives,
most of whom were prostrated with grief, and did their best
to rouse them from their stupor.
"The Egyptians have seen that the Rebu are men in the
field," Amuba said to some of them. "Let them see that
we can also bear misfortune like men. Grieving will not
(481) D


50
A LONG JOURNEY.
mitigate our lot, nay, it will add to its burden. If the
Egyptians see that we bear our fate manfully they will have
far more compassion upon us than if they see that we be-
moan ourselves. Remember we have a long and toilsome
journey before us, and shall need all our strength. After
all the hardship of our lot is as nothing to that of the
women yonder. We are accustomed to exercise and toil,
but the journey, which we can support as well as the Egyp-
tians, will be terrible to them, delicate in nature as they
are. Let us therefore set them an example of courage and
patience, let us bear ourselves as men whose suffering is
unmerited, who have been conquered but not disgraced,
who are prepared to defy fate and not to succumb to it."
Amuba's words had a great effect upon the captives.
They regarded him with respect as the son of their late
king, and as one who would have been king himself had
not this misfortune misfallen them; and his calmness arid
manly speech encouraged them to strive against their grief
and to look their fate more hopefully in the face. As long
as the army remained in camp the hands of the captives
were tied behind them, but when the march was begun they
were relieved of their bonds and were placed in the centre
of one of the Egyptian regiments.
It was a long and tedious journey. On the way the train
of captives was very largely increased by those who had been
taken in the earlier conquests of the army, and who had been
left in charge of the troops told off to the various provinces
brought into subjection by the Egyptians until the army
passed through on its homeward march. Provisions had
been everywhere collected to supply it on its progress, and
as the distance traversed each day was small the captives
suffered but little until they entered upon the passage of
the desert tract between the southern point of Syria and
the mouth of the Nile.
Here, although vast quantities of water were carried in
the train of the army, the supply given to the captives was








IN EGYPT.
51
extremely small, and as the sun blazed down with tre-
mendous heat, and they were half suffocated by the dust
which rose in clouds under the feet of the vast body of men,
their sufferings were very severe. The Rebu captives had
gained the respect of the troops who escorted them by
their manly bearing and the absence of the manifestations
of grief which were betrayed by most of the other captives.
The regiment was composed of Lybian mercenaries, hardy,
active men, inured alike to heat and fatigue.
During the three months which the march had occupied,
Amuba and Jethro, and indeed most of the captives, had
acquired some knowledge of the Egyptian language. Jethro
had from the first impressed upon the young prince the
great advantage this would be to them. In the first place it
would divert their thoughts from dwelling upon the past,
and in the second it would make their lot more bearable in
Egypt
"You must remember," he said "that we shall be slaves,
and masters are not patient with their slaves. They give
them orders, and if the order is not understood so much
the worse for the slaves. It will add to our value, and
therefore obtain for us better treatment, if we are able to
converse in their tongue."
Amuba was thankful indeed when the gray monotony
of the desert was succeeded by the bright verdure of the
plains of Egypt As they entered the land the order in
which they had marched was changed, and the long line of
captives followed immediately after the chariot of the king.
Each of them was laden with a portion of the spoil taken
from their native country. Amuba bore on his head a large
golden vase which had been used in the ceremonies of the
temple. Jethro carried a rich helmet and armour which had
belonged to the king.
The first city they entered Amuba was astonished at the
massive splendour of the buildings and at the signs of com-
fort and wealth which everywhere met his eye. The streets


52
STRANGE FIGURES.
were thronged with people who, bending to the ground,
shouted their acclamations as the king passed along, and who
gazed with interest and surprise at the long procession of
captives representing the various nations who had been sub-
jected to his arms. Most of all he was surprised at the
temples with their long avenues of sphinxes, the gigantic
figures representing the gods, the rows of massive pillars,
the majesty and grandeur of the edifices themselves.
"How were they built, Jethro?" he exclaimed over and
again. "How were these massive stones placed in order?
How did they drag these huge figures across the plains?
What tools could they have used to carve them out of the
solid granite?"
"I am afraid, Amuba," Jethro said grimly, for the lad
had positively forbidden him to address him any longer as
prince, saying that such title addressed to a slave was no
better than mockery, "we are likely to learn to our cost
before long how they manage these marvels, for marvels
they assuredly are. It must have taken the strength of
thousands of men to have transported even one of these
strange figures, and although the people themselves may
have aided in the work, you may be sure the slaves bore
the brunt of it"
"But what is the meaning of these figures, Jethro? Surely
neither in this country nor in any other are there creatures
with the faces of women and the bodies of lions and great
wings such as these have. Some, too, have the faces of
men and the bodies of bulls, while others have heads like
birds and bodies like those of men."
"Assuredly there can be no such creatures, Amuba; and
I wonder that a people so enlightened and wise as the
Egyptians should chose such strange figures for their goda
I can only suppose that these figures represent their attri-
butes rather than the gods themselves. Do you see, the
human head may represent their intelligence, the bodies of
the lions or bulls their strength and power, the wings of the


MEMPHIS.
53
bird their swiftness. I do not know that it is so, but it
seems to me that it is possible that it may be something of
this sort. We cannot but allow that their gods are powerful
since they give them victory over all other people; but no
doubt we shall learn more of them and of many other things
in time."
The journey was continued for another three weeks, and
was the cause of constant surprises to the captives. The
extraordinary fertility of the land especially struck them.
Cultivation among the Rebu was of a very primitive de-
scription, and the abundance and variety of the crops that
everywhere met their eye seemed to them absolutely mar-
vellous. Irrigation was not wholly unknown to the Rebu,
and was carried on to a considerable extent in Persia; but
the enormous works for the purpose in Egypt, the massive
embankments of the river, the network of canals and ditches,
the order and method everywhere apparent filled them with
surprise and admiration.
Many of the cities and temples greatly surpassed in mag-
nificence and splendour those they had first met with, and
Amuba's wonder reached its climax when they arrived at
Memphis, till lately the capital of Egypt . The wealth and
contents of the city astonished the captives, but most of all
were they surprised when they saw the enormous bulk of
the pyramids rising a few miles distant from the town, and
learned that these were some of the tombs of the kings.
The country had now altered in character. On the left
a range of steep hills approached the river, and as the march
proceeded similar though not so lofty hills were seen on the
right
.
At last after another fortnight's travelling a shout of joy
from the army proclaimed that Thebes, the capital of Egypt,
the goal of the long and weary march, was in view.
Thebes stood on both sides of the Nile. On the eastern
bank the largest portion of the population was gathered,
but this part of the city was inhabited principally by the


54
THEliKS.
poorer class. There was, too, a large population on the
Libyan side of the Nile, the houses being densely packed
near the bank of the river. Behind these were numbers of
temples and palaces, while the tombs of the kings and queens
were excavated in a valley farther back, whose precipitous
sides were honeycombed with the rock sepulchres of the
wealthy. As the dwelling-houses were all low, the vast
piles of the temples, palaces, and public buildings rose
above them, and presented a most striking appearance to
those approaching the city, which lay in a great natural
amphitheatre, the hills on both sides narrowing towards
the river both above and below it . The march of the royal
army from Memphis had been on the western bank of the
river, and it was the great Libyan suburb with its palaces
and temples that they were approaching. As they neared
the city an enormous multitude poured out to welcome the
king and the returning army. Shouts of enthusiasm were
raised, the sound of trumpets and other musical instruments
filled the air, religious processions from the great temples
moved with steady course through the dense crowd, which
separated at once to allow of the passage of the figures of the
gods, and of the priests and attendants bearing their emblems.
"Indeed, Jethro," Amuba exclaimed with enthusiasm, "it
is almost worth while being made a slave if it is only to
witness this glorious scene. What a wonderful people are
these; what knowledge, and power, and magnificence. Why,
my father's palace would be regarded as a mere hut in Thebes,
and our temples, of which we thought so much, are pigmies
by the side of these immense edifices."
"All that is true enough, Amuba, and I do not say that
I, too, am not filled with admiration, and yet you know the
Rebu several times drove back their forces, and man for
man are more than a match for their soldiers. Our people
are taller than they by half a head. We have not so much
luxury, nor did we want it . All this must make people
effeminate."


THE DIVISION OF THE CAPTIVES.
55
"Perhaps so," Amuba assented; "but you must remem-
ber it is not so very long ago that we were a people living
in tents, and wandering at will in search of pasture, and we
have not, I think, become effeminate because we have settled
down and built towns. No one can say that the Egyptians
are not brave, certainly it is not for us to say so, though I
agree with you that physically they are not our equals. See
how the people stare and point at us, Jethro. I should think
they have never seen a race like ours with blue eyes and
fair hair. Though even among them there are varying
shades of darkness. The nobles and upper classes are much
lighter in hue than the common people.
The surprise of the Egyptians was indeed great at the
complexion of their captives, and the decoration of their
walls have handed down in paintings which still remain,
the blue eyes and fair hair of the Rebu. The rejoicings
upon the return of the king went on for several days, at
the end of that time the captives were distributed by the
royal order. Some were given to the generals who had
most distinguished themselves. Many were assigned to the
priests, while the great bulk were sent to labour upon the
public works.
The Rebu captives, whose singular complexion and fair-
ness caused them to be regarded with special interest, were
distributed among the special favourites of the king. Many
of the girls were assigned to the queen and royal princesses,
others to the wives of the priests and generals who formed
the council of the king. The men were, for the most part,
given to the priests for service about the temples.
To his great delight Amuba found that Jethro and himself
were among the eight captives who were assigned to the ser-
vice of the priests of one of the great temples. This was
scarcely the effect of chance, for the captives were drawn
up in line, and the number assigned to each temple were
marched off together in order that there might be no pick-
ing and choosing of the captives, but that they might be


56
A KINDLY MASTER.
divided impartially between the various temples, and as
Jethro always placed himself by Amuba's side, it naturally
happened that they fell to the same destination.
On reaching the temple the little band of captives were
again drawn up, and the high-priest, Ameres, a grave and
distinguished-looking man, walked along the line scrutiniz-
ing them. He beckoned to Amuba to step forward. "Hence-
forth," he said, "you are my servant . Behave well, and
you will be well treated." He again walked down the line,
and Amuba saw that he was going to choose another, and
threw himself on his knees before him.
"Will my lord pardon my boldness," he said, "but may
1 implore you to choose yonder man who stood next beside
ine. He has been my friend from childhood, he covered me
with his shield in battle, he has been a father to me since I
have lost my own. Do not, I implore you, my lord, separate
us now. You will find us both willing to labour at what-
soever you may give us to do."
The priest listened gravely.
"It shall be as you wish," he said, "it is the duty of
every man to give pleasure to those around him if it lies
in his power, and as your friend is a man of thews and
sinews, and has a frank and honest face, he will assuredly
suit me as well as another; do you therefore both follow
me to my house."
The other captives saluted Amuba as he and Jethro turned
to follow. The priest observed the action, and said to the
lad:
"Were you a person of consequence among your people
that they thus at parting salute you rather than your com-
rade who is older than you?"
"I am the son of him who was their king," Amuba said.
"He fell in action with your troops, and had not our city
been taken, and the nation subdued by the Egyptians, I
should have inherited the throne."
"Is it so?" the priest said. "Truly the changes and


"JUDGE NOT HASTILY."
57
fortunes of life are strange. I wonder that, being the son
of their king, you were not specially kept by Thotmes
himself"
"I think that he knew it not," Amuba said . "We knew
not your customs, and my fellow-captives thought that
possibly I might be put to death were it known that I was
a son of their king, and therefore abstained from all out-
ward marks of respect, which, indeed, would to one, who was
a slave like themselves, have been ridiculous."
"Perhaps it is best so," the priest said thoughtfully. "You
would not have been injured, for we do not slay our cap-
tives taken in war, still maybe your life will be easier to
bear as the servant of a priest than in the household of the
king. You had better, however, mention to no one the rank
you have borne, for it might be reported to the king, and
then you might be sent for to the palace; unless indeed
you would rather be a spectator of the pomp and gaiety of
the court than a servant in a quiet household."
"I would far rather remain with you, my lord," Amuba
said eagerly. "You have already shown the kindness of your
heart by granting my request, and choosing my comrade
Jethro as my fellow slave, and I feel already that my lot
will be a far happier one than I had ventured to hope."
"Judge not hastily by appearances," the priest said. "At
the same time, here in Egypt, slaves are not treated as they
are among the wild peoples of Nubia and the desert There
is a law for all, and he who kills a slave is punished as if he
took the life of an Egyptian. However I think I can say that
your life will not be a hard one; you have intelligence, as
is shown by the fact that you have so rapidly acquired suffi-
cient knowledge of our tongue to speak it intelligibly. Can
you, too, speak our language?" he asked Jethro.
"I can speak a little," Jethro said; "but not nearly so
well as Amuba. My lips are too old to fashion a strange
tongue as rapidly as can his younger ones."
"You speak sufficiently well to understand," the priest


58
THE HIGH-PRIEST'S ABODE.
said, "and doubtless will in time acquire our tongue per-
fectly. This is my house."
The priest entered an imposing gateway, on each side of
which stretched a long and lofty wall. At a distance of
fifty yards from the gate stood a large dwelling, compared
to which the royal abode which Amuba had been brought
up in was but a miserable hut Inclosed within the walls
was a space of ground some three hundred yards square,
which was laid out as a garden. Avenues of fruit trees
ran all round it, a portion was laid out as a vineyard; while,
separated from the rest by an avenue of palm-trees, was a
vegetable garden.
In front of the house was a large piece of water, in which
floated a gaily painted boat; aquatic plants of all kinds bor-
dered its edges. Graceful palms grouped their foliage over
it, the broad flat leaves of lilies floated on its surface, while
the white flowers which Amuba had seen carried in all the
religious processions, and by large numbers of people of the
upper rank, and which he heard were called the lotus, rose
above them. The two captives were struck with surprise
and admiration at the beauty of the scene, and forgot for a
moment that they were slaves, as they looked round at a
vegetation more beautiful than they had ever beheld. A
smile passed over the countenance of the priest
"Perfect happiness is for no man," he said, "and yet me-
thinks that you may in time learn at least contentment here."
CHAPTER IV.
AN EASY SERVITUDE.
JUST as the priest finished speaking, a lad of about the
same age as Amuba appeared at the portico of the
house, and ran down to his father.


"POLITENESS IS THE RULE."
59
"Oh, father!" he exclaimed, "have you brought two of
these strange captives home. We saw them in the procession,
and marvelled greatly at the colour of their hair and eyes.
Mysa and I particularly noticed this lad, whose hair is almost
the colour of gold."
"As usual, Chebron, your tongue outruns your discretion
.
This youth understands enough Egyptian to know what
you are saying, and it is not courteous to speak of a person's
characteristics to his face."
The lad flushed through his olive cheeks.
"Pardon me," he said courteously to Amuba. "I did not
think for a moment that one who had but newly arrived
among us understood our language."
"Do not apologise," Amuba replied with a smile. "Doubt-
less our appearance is strange to you, and indeed even among
the peoples of Lydia and Persia, there are few whose hair
and eyes are as fair as ours. Even had you said that you
did not like our appearance I should not have felt hurt, for
all people I think like that to which they are accustomed;
in any case it is good of you to say that you regret what you
said; people do not generally think that captives have feel-
ings."
"Chebron's apology was right," his father said. "Among
us politeness is the rule, and every Egyptian is taught to be
considerate to all people. It is just as easy to be polite as
to be rude, and men are served better for love than for fear."
"And are they to stay here, father?" Chebron asked, "or
have you only brought them for to-day?"
"They are to stay here, my son. I have chosen them
from those set aside for our temple. I selected the younger
because he was about your age, and it is good for a man to
have one near him who has been brought up with him, and
is attached to him; who, although circumstances may not
have made them equal in condition, can yet be a comrade
and a friend, and such, T hope, you will find in Amuba, for
such he tells me is his name. I have said whom circum-


60 "I WILL TREAT YOU AS MY FRIEND."
stances have placed in an inferior position, for after all cir-
cumstances are everything. This youth, in his own country,
held a position even higher than you do here, for he was
the son of the king; and, since his father fell in battle, would
now be the king of his people had they not been subjected
to us. Therefore, Chebron, bear it always in mind that,
although misfortune has placed him a captive among us, he
is in birth your superior, and treat him as you yourself would
wish to be treated did you fall a captive into the hands of a
hostile nation."
"I will gladly treat you as my friend," the young
Egyptian said frankly to Amuba. "Although you are so
different from me in race, I can see in your face that you
are true and loyal. Besides," he added, "I am sure that
my father would not have bade me so trust you had he not
read your character and been certain that you will be a fit
friend for me."
"You and your father are both good," Amuba replied.
"I know how hard is the lot of captives taken in war, for
we, Rebu, had many slaves whom we took in various ex-
peditions, and I was prepared to suffer. You can judge,
then, how grateful I feel to our gods that they have placed
me in hands so different from those I had looked for,
and I swear to you, Chebron, that you shall find me faithful
and devoted to you. So, too, will you find my friend here,
who in any difficulty would be far more able to render you
service than I could. He was one of our bravest warriors.
He drove my chariot in the great battle we fought with
your people, and saved my life several times; and should
you need the service of a strong and brave man, Jethro will
be able to aid you."
"And have you been in battle?" Chebron asked in
surprise.
"That was the first time I had ever fought with men,"
Amuba said; "but I had often hunted the lion, and he is
almost as terrible aD enemy as your soldiers. I was young


AN EGYPTIAN YOUTH.
61
to go to battle, but my father naturally wished me to take
my place early among the fighting men of our nation."
"By the way, Chebron," Ameres said, "I would warn you,
mention to no one the rank that Amuba held In his own
country. Were it known he might be taken away from us
to serve in the palace. His people who were taken captives
with him said nothing as to his rank, fearing that ill might
befall him were it known, and it was therefore supposed
that he was of the same rank as the other captives, who
were all men of noble birth among the Rebu. Therefore
tell no one, not even your mother or your sister Mysa. If
there is a secret to be kept, the fewer who know it the better."
While this conversation had been going on Amuba had
been narrowly examining the lad who had promised to
treat him as a friend.
Like his father he was fairer in complexion than the
majority of the Egyptians, the lighter hue being, indeed,
almost universal among the upper class. He was much
shorter and slighter than the young Rebu, but he carried him-
self well, and had already in his manner something of the
calm and dignity that distinguished Egyptians born to high
rank. He was disfigured, as Amuba thought, by the custom,
general throughout Egypt, of having his head smoothly
shaven, except one lock which fell down over the left ear.
This, as Amuba afterwards learned, was the distinguishing
sign of youth, and would be shaved off when he attained
man's estate, married, or entered upon a profession.
At present his head was bare, but when he went out he
wore a close-fitting cap with an orifice through which the
lock of hair passed out and fell down to his shoulder. He had
not yet taken to the custom general among the upper and
middle classes of wearing a wig. This general shaving of
the head had, to Amuba, a most unpleasant effect until he
became accustomed to it It was adopted, doubtless, by the
Egyptians for the purpose of coolness and cleanliness; but
Amuba thought that he would rather spend any amount of


62
THE HIGH-PRIEST'S WIFE.
pains in keeping his hair free from dust than go about in
the fantastic and complicated wigs that the Egyptians wore.
The priest now led them within the house. On passing
through the entrance they entered a large hall. Along its side
ran a row of massive columns supporting the ceiling, which
projected twelve feet from each wall; the walls were covered
with marble and other coloured stones; the floor was
paved with the same material; a fountain played in the
middle, and threw its water to a considerable height, for the
portion of the hall between the columns was open to the
sky; seats of a great variety of shapes stood about the
room; while in great pots were placed palms and other plants
of graceful foliage. The ceiling was painted with an elaborate
pattern in colours. A lady was seated upon a long couch.
It had no back, but one end was raised as a support for the
arm, and the ends were carved into the semblance of the
heads of animals.
Two Nubian slave girls stood behind her fanning her,
and a girl about twelve years old was seated on a low stool
studying from a roll of papyrus. She threw it down and
jumped to her feet as her father entered, and the lady rose
with a languid air, as if the effort of even so slight a move-
ment was a trouble to her.
"Oh, papa!—" the girl began, but the priest checked her
with a motion of his hand.
"My dear," he said to his wife, "I have brought home
two of the captives whom our great king has brought with
him as trophies of his conquest. He has handed many over
for our service and that of the temples, and these two have
fallen to my share.' They were of noble rank in their own
country, and we will do our best to make them forget the
sad change in their position."
"You are always so peculiar in your notions, Ameres,"
the lady said more pettishly than would have been expected
from her languid movements. "They are captives; and I do
not see that it makes any matter what they were before they








MYSA.
63
were captives, so that they are captives now. By all means
treat them as you like, so that you do not place them about
me, for their strange coloured hair and eyes and their white
faces make me shudder."
"Oh, mamma, I think it so pretty," Mysa exclaimed. "I do
wish my hair was gold-coloured like that boy's, instead of
being black like every one else's."
The priest shook his head at his daughter reprovingly;
but she seemed in no way abashed, for she was her father's
pet, and knew well enough that he was never seriously
angry with her.
"I do not propose placing them near you, Amense," he
said calmly in reply to his wife. "Indeed it seems to me that
you have already more attendants about you than you can
find any sort of employment for. The lad I have specially
allotted to Chebron, as to the other I have not exactly settled
as to what his duties will be."
"Won't you give him to me, papa," Mysa said coaxingly.
"Fatina is not at all amusing, and Dolma, the Nubian girl,
can only look good-natured and show her white teeth, but
as we can't understand each other at all 1 don't see that she
is of any use to me."
"And what use do you think you could make of this tall
Rebu?" the priest asked smiling.
"I don't quite know, papa," Mysa said, as with her head a
little on one side she examined Jethro critically, "but I like
his looks, and I am sure he could do all sorts of things; for
instance he could walk with me when I want to go out, he
could tow me round the lake in the boat, he could pick up
my ball for me, and could feed my pets."
"When you are too lazy to feed them yourself," the
priest put in. "Very well, Mysa, we will try the experiment
Jethro shall be your special attendant, and when you have
nothing for him to do, which will be the best part of the day,
he can look after the water-fowl. Zunbo never attends them
properly. Do you understand that?" he asked Jethro.


64
FORTUNATE CAPTIVES.
Jethro replied by stepping forward, taking the girls band,
and bending over it until his forehead touched it.
"There is an answer for you, Mysa."
"You indulge the children too much, Ameres," his wife
said irritably. "I do not think in all Egypt there are any
children so spoilt as ours. Other men's sons never speak
unless addressed, and do not think of sitting down in the
presence of their father. 1 am astonished indeed that you,
who are looked up to as one of the wisest men in Egypt,
should suffer your children to be so familiar with you."
"Perhaps, my dear," Ameres said with a placid smile,
"it is because I am one of the wisest men in Egypt. My
children honour me in their hearts as much as do those who
are kept in slave-like subjection. How is a boy's mind
to expand if he does not ask questions, and who should be
so well able to answer his questions as his father? There,
children, you can go now, take your new companions with
you and show them the garden and your pets."
"We are fortunate, indeed, Jethro," Amuba said as they
followed Chebron and Mysa into the garden. "When we
pictured to ourselves as we lay on the sand at night during
our journey hither what our life would be, we never dreamt
of anything like this; we thought of tilling the land, of aid-
ing to raise the great dams and embankments, of quarrying
stone for the public buildings, of a grinding and hopeless
slavery, and the only thing that ever we ventured to hope
for was that we might toil side by side, and now, see how
good the gods have been to us. Not only are we together,
but we have found friends in our masters, a home in this
strange land."
"Truly it is wonderful, Amuba. This Priest Ameres, is
a most excellent person; one to be loved by all who come
near him. We have indeed been most fortunate in having
been chosen by him."
The brother and sister led the way through an avenue of
fruit trees, at the end of which a gate led through a high


A VARIETY OF PETS.
65
paling of rashes into an inclosure some fifty feet square.
It was surrounded by trees and shrubs, and in their shade
stood a number of wooden structures. In the centre was
a pool occupying the third of the area, and like the large
pond before the house bordered with aquatic plants. At
the edge stood two ibises, while many brilliantly plumaged
water-fowl were swimming on its surface, or cleaning their
feathers on the bank.
As soon as the gate closed there was a great commotion
among the water-fowl; the ibises advanced gravely to meet
their young mistress, the ducks set up a chorus of welcome,
those on the water made for the shore, while those on land
followed the ibises with loud quackings. But the first to reach
them were two gazelles, which bounded from one of the
wooden huts and were in an instant beside them, thrusting
their soft muzzles into the hands of Chebron and Mysa,
while from the other structures arose a medley of sounds—
the barking of dogs and the sounds of welcome from a
variety of creatures.
"This is not your feeding time, you know," Chebron said,
looking at the gazelles, "and for once we have come empty-
handed; but we will give you something from your stores.
See, Jethro, this is their larder," and he led the way into a
structure somewhat larger than the rest; along the walls
were a number of boxes of various sizes, while some large
bins stood below them. "Here, you see," he went on, open-
ing one of the bins and taking from it a handful of freshly-
cut vetches, and going to the door and throwing it down
before the gazelles, "this is their special food; it is brought
in fresh every morning from our farm, which lies six miles
away. The next bin contains the seed for the water-fowl.
It is all mixed here you see. Wheat and peas and pulse
and other seeds. Mysa, do give them a few handfuls, for I
can hardly hear myself speak from their clamour.
"In this box above you see there is a pan of sopped bread
for the cats. There is a little mixed with the water; but
(481 ) K


06
A WELL-CARED-FOR COLONY.
only a little, for it will not keep good. Those cakes are
for them too. Those large, plain, hard-baked cakes in the
next box are for the dogs; they have some meat and bones
given them two or three times a week. These frogs and
toads in this cage are for the little crocodile; he has a tank
all to himself. All these other boxes are full of different
food for the other animals you see. There's a picture of
the right animal upon each, so there is no fear of making a
mistake. We generally feed them ourselves three times a
day when we are here, but when we are away it will be for
you to feed them."
"And please," Mysa said, "above all things be very par-
ticular that they have all got fresh water; they do love
fresh water so much, and sometimes it is so hot that the
pans dry up in an hour after it has been poured out . You
see the gazelles can go to the pond and drink when they are
thirsty, but the others are fastened up because they won't
live peaceably together as they ought to do; but we let
them out for a bit while we are here. The dogs chase the
water-fowl and frighten them, and the cats will eat up the
little ducklings, which is very wrong when they have plenty
of proper food; and the ichneumon, even when we are here,
would quarrel with the snakes if we let him into their house.
They are very troublesome that way, though they are all so
good with us. The houses all want making nice and clean
of a morning."
The party went from house to house inspecting the various
animals, all of which were most carefully attended. The
dogs, which were, Chebron said, of a Nubian breed, were
used for hunting; while on comfortable beds of fresh rushes
three great cats lay blinking on large cushions, but got up
and rubbed against Mysa and Chebron in token of welcome.
A number of kittens who were playing about together rushed
up with upraised tails and loud mowings. Amuba noticed
that their two guides made a motion of respect as they
entered the house where the cats were as well as towards


A QUIET TIME,
67
the dogs, the ichneumon, and the crocodile, all of which were
sacred animals in Thebes.
Many instructions were given by Mysa to Jethro as to
the peculiar treatment that each of her pets demanded, and
having completed their rounds the party then explored the
garden, and Arauba and Jethro were greatly struck by the
immense variety of plants, which had indeed been raised
from seeds or roots brought from all the various countries
where the Egyptian arms extended.
For a year the time passed tranquilly and pleasantly to
Amuba in the household of the priest His duties and those
of Jethro were light In his walks and excursions Amuba
was Chebron's companion. He learned to row his boat when
he went out fishing on the Nile. When thus out together
the distinction of rank was altogether laid aside; but when
in Thebes the line was necessarily more marked, as Cheb-
ron could not take Amuba with him to the houses of the
many friends and relatives of his father among the priestly
and military classes. When the priest and his family went
out to a banquet or entertainment Jethro and Amuba were
always with the party of servants who went with torches
to escort them home. The service was a light one in their
case; but not so in many others, for the Egyptians often
drank deeply at these feasts, and many of the slaves always
took with them light couches upon which to carry their
masters home. Even among the ladies, who generally took
their meals apart from the men upon these occasions, drun-
kenness was by no means uncommon.
When in the house Amuba was often present when
Chebron studied, and as he himself was most anxious to
acquire as much as he could of the wisdom of the Egyp-
tians, Chebron taught him the hieroglyphic characters,
and he was ere long able to read the inscriptions upon the
temple and public buildings and to study from the papyrus
scrolls, of which vast numbers were stowed away in pigeon
holes ranged round one of the largest rooms in the house.


68
COUNTRY LIFE.
When Chebron's studies were over Jcthro instructed him
in the use of arms, and also practised with Amuba. A teacher
of the use of the bow came frequently—for Egyptians of all
ranks were skilled in the use of the national weapon—and
the Rebu captives, already skilled in the bow as used by
their own people, learned from watching his teaching of
Chebron to use the longer and much more powerful weapon
of the Egyptians. Whenever Mysa went outside the house
Jethro accompanied her; waiting outside the house she
visited until she came out, or going back to fetch her if
her stay was a prolonged one.
Greatly they enjoyed the occasional visits made by the
family to their farm. Here they saw the cultivation of the
fields carried on, watched the plucking of the grapes and
their conversion into wine. To extract the juice the grapes
were heaped in a large flat vat above which ropes were sus-
pended. A dozen bare-footed slaves entered the vat and trod
out the grapes, usin^ the ropes to lift themselves in order
that they might drop with greater force upon the fruit
.
Amuba had learned from Chebron that, although he was
going to enter the priesthood as an almost necessary prelimin-
ary for state employment, he was not intended to rise to the
upper rank of the priesthood, but to become a state official.
"My elder brother will, no doubt, some day succeed my
father as high-priest of Osiris," he told Amuba. "I know
that my father does not think that he is clever, but it is
not necessary to be very clever to serve in the temple. I
thought that, of course, I too should come to high rank in
the priesthood; for, as you know, almost all posts are here-
ditary, and though my brother as the elder would be
high-priest, I should be one of the chief-priests also. But
I have not much taste that way, and rejoiced much when
one day saying so to my father, he replied at once that he
should not urge me to devote my life to the priesthood, for
that there were many other offices of state which would be
open to me, and in which I could serve my countiy and be


A NOBLE PRIEST.
69
useful to the people. Almost all the posts in the service
of the state are, indeed, held by the members of priestly
families; they furnish governors to the provinces, and not
unfrequently generals to the army.
"' Some,' he said, 'are by disposition fitted to spend their
lives in ministering in the temples, and it is doubtless a
high honour and happiness to do so; but for others a more
active life and a wider field of usefulness is more suitable.
Engineers are wanted for the canal and irrigation works,
judges are required to make the law respected and obeyed,
diplomatists to deal with foreign nations, governors for the
many peoples over whom we rule; therefore, my son, if you
do not feel a longing to spend your life in the service of the
temple, by all means turn your mind to study which will fit
you to be an officer of the state. Be assured that I can
obtain for you from the king a post in which you will be
able to make your first essay, and so, if deserving, rise to
high advancement.'"
There were few priests during the reign of Thotmes III.
who stood higher in the opinion of the Egyptian people
than Ameres. His piety and learning rendered him distin-
guished among his fellows. He was high-priest in the
temple of Osiris, and was one of the most trusted of the
councillors of the king. He had by heart all the laws of the
sacred books; he was an adept in the inmost mysteries of
the religion. His wealth was large, and he used it nobl);
he lived in a certain pomp and state which were necessary
for his position, but he spent but a tithe of his revenues,
and the rest he distributed among the needy.
If the Nile rose to a higher level than usual and spread
ruin and destruction among the cultivators, Ameres was
ready to assist the distressed. If the rise of the river
was deficient, he always set the example of remitting the
rents of the tenants of his broad lands, and was ready to
lend money without interest to tenants of harder or more
necessitous landlords.


70
AN INQUIRING MIND.
Yet among the high priesthood Ameres was regarded
with suspicion, and even dislike. It was whispered among
them that, learned and pious as he was, the opinions of the
high-priest were not in accordance with the general senti-
ments of the priesthood; that, although he performed
punctiliously all the numerous duties of his office, and
took his part in the sacrifices and processions of the god,
he yet lacked reverence for him, and entertained notions
widely at variance with those of his fellows.
Ameres was, in fact, one of those men who refuse to be
bound by the thoughts and opinions of others, and to whom
it is a necessity to bring their own judgment to bear on every
question presented to them. His father, who had been high-
priest before him—for the great offices of Egypt were for
the most part hereditary—while he had been delighted at
the thirst for knowledge and the enthusiasm for study in his
son, had been frequently shocked at the freedom with which
he expressed his opinions, as step by step he was initiated
into the sacred mysteries.
Already at his introduction to the priesthood, Ameres had
mastered all there was to learn in geometry and astronomy.
He was a skilful architect, and was deeply versed in the
history of the nation. He had already been employed as
supervisor in the construction of canals and irrigation works
on the property belonging to the temple, and in all these
respects his father had every reason to be proud of the suc-
cess he had attained and the estimation in which he was held
by his fellows. It was only the latitude which he allowed
himself in his consideration of religious questions which
alarmed and distressed his father.
The Egyptians were the most conservative of peoples.
For thousands of years no change whatever took place in
their constitution, their manners, customs, and habits. It
was the fixed belief of every Egyptian that in all respects
their country was superior to any other, and that their laws
and customs had approached perfection. All from the


A CONSERVATIVE PEOPLE.
71
highest to the lowest were equally bound by these. The
king himself was no more independent than the peasant;
his hour of rising, the manner in which the day should be
employed, the very quantity and quality of food he should
eat, were all rigidly dictated by custom. He was surrounded
from his youth by young men of his own age—sons of priests,
chosen for their virtue and piety.
Thus he was freed from the influence of evil advisors,
and even had he so wished it, had neither means nor power
of oppressing his subjects, whose rights and privileges were
as strictly defined as his own. In a country, then, where
every man followed the profession of his father, and where
from time immemorial everything had proceeded on pre-
cisely the same lines, the fact that Ameres, the son of the
high-priest of Osiris, and himself destined to succeed to that
dignity, should entertain opinions differing even in the
slightest from those held by the leaders of the priesthood,
was sufficient to cause him to be regarded with marked dis-
favour among them; it was indeed only because his piety and
benevolence were as remarkable as his learning and know-
ledge of science that he was enabled at his father's death
to succeed to his office without opposition.
Indeed, even at that time the priests of higher grade
would have opposed his election; but Ameres was as popu-
lar with the lower classes of the priesthood as with the
people at large, and their suffrages would have swamped
those of his opponents. The multitude had, indeed, never
heard so much as a whisper against the orthodoxy of the
high-priest of Osiris. They saw him ever foremost in the
sacrifices and processions; they knew that he was indefatig-
able in his services in the temple, and that all his spare time
was devoted to works of benevolence and general utility; and
as they bent devoutly as he passed through the streets they
little dreamt that the high-priest of Osiris was regarded by
his chief brethren as a dangerous innovator.
And yet it was on one subject only that he differed widely


72
AN INNOVATOR.
from his order. Versed as he was in the innermost mys-
teries, he had learned the true meaning of the religion of
which he was one of the chief ministers. He was aware that
Osiris and Isis, the six other great gods, and the innumer-
able divinities whom the Egyptians worshipped under the
guise of deities with the heads of animals, were in themselves
no gods at all, but mere attributes of the power, the wisdom,
the goodness, the anger of the one great God—a God so
mighty that his name was unknown, and that it was only
when each of his attributes was given an individuality and
worshipped as a god that it could be understood by the
finite sense of man.
All this was known to Ameres and the few who, like
him, had been admitted to the inmost mysteries of the
Egyptian religion. The rest of the population in Egypt
worshipped in truth and in faith the animal-headed gods
and the animals sacred to them; and yet as to these ani-
mals there was no consensus of opinion. In one nome or
division of the kingdom the crocodile was sacred; in
another he was regarded with dislike, and the ichneumon,
who was supposed to be his destroyer, was deified. In one
the goat was worshipped, and in another eaten for food;
and so it was throughout the whole of the list of sacred
animals, which were regarded with reverence or indiffer-
ence according to the gods who were looked upon as the
special tutelary deities of the nome.
It was the opinion of Ameres that the knowledge, con-
fined only to the initiated, should be more widely dissemi-
nated, and, without wishing to extend it at present to the
ignorant masses of the peasantry and labourers, he thought
that all the educated and intelligent classes of Egypt should
be admitted to an understanding of the real nature of the
gods they worshipped and the inner truths of their religion.
He was willing to admit that the process must be gradual,
and that it would be necessary to enlarge gradually the
circle of the initiated. His proposals were nevertheless


THE ARGUMENTS OF THE PRIESTS.
73
received with dismay and horror by his colleagues. They
asserted that to allow others besides the higher priesthood
to become aware of the deep mysteries of their religion
would be attended with terrible consequences.
In the first place, it would shake entirely the respect
and reverence in which the priesthood were held, and would
annihilate their influence. The temples would be deserted,
and, losing the faith which they now so steadfastly held in
the gods, people would soon cease to have any religion at
all . "There are no people," they urged, "on the face of the
earth so moral, so contented, so happy, and so easily ruled
as the Egyptians; but what would they be did you destroy
all their beliefs, and launch them upon a sea of doubt and
speculation! No longer would they look up to those who
have so long been their guides and teachers, and whom
they regard as possessing a knowledge and wisdom infinitely
beyond theirs. They would accuse us of having deceived
them, and in their blind fury destroy alike the gods and
their ministers. The idea of such a thing is horrible."
Ameres was silenced though not convinced. He felt, in-
deed, that there was much truth in the view they entertained
of the matter, and that terrible consequences would almost
certainly follow the discovery by the people that for thou-
sands of years they had been led by the priests to worship
as gods those who were no gods at all, and he saw that the
evil which would arise from a general enlightenment of the
people would outweigh any benefit that they could derive
from the discovery. The system had, as his colleagues said,
worked well; and the fact that the people worshipped as
actual deities imaginary beings who were really but the re-
presentatives of the attributes of the infinite God, could not
be said to have done them any actual harm. At any rate, he
alone and unaided could do nothing. Only with the general
Consent of the higher priesthood could the circle of initiated
be widened, and any movement on his part alone would
simply bring upon himself disgrace and death. Therefore,


74
AN EGYPTIAN PRIEST.
after unburdening himself in a council composed only of
the higher initiates, he held his peace and went on the
quiet tenor of his way.
Enlightened as he was he felt that he did no wrong to
preside at the sacrifices and take part in the services of the
gods. He was worshipping not the animal-headed idols,
but the attributes which they personified. He felt pity for
the ignorant multitude who laid their offerings upon the
shrine; and yet he felt that it would shatter their happiness
instead of adding to it were they to know that the deity
they worshipped was a myth. He allowed his wife and
daughter to join with the priestesses in the service at the
temple, and in his heart acknowledged that there was much
in the contention of those who argued that the spread of
the knowledge of the inner mysteries would not conduce
to the happiness of all who received it Indeed he him-
self would have shrunk from disturbing the minds of his
wife and daughter by informing them that all their pious
ministrations in the temple were offered to non-existent
gods; that the sacred'animals they tended were in no way
more sacred than others, save that in them were recognized
some shadow of the attributes of the unknown God.
His eldest son was, he saw, not of a disposition to be
troubled with the problems which gave him so much subject
for thought and care. Ho would conduct the services con-
sciously and well. He would bear a respectable part when,
on his accession to the high-priesthood, he became one of
the councillors of the monarch. He had common sense, but
no imagination. The knowledge of the inmost mysteries
would not disturb his mind in the slightest degree, and it
was improbable that even a thought would ever cross his
mind that the terrible deception practised by the enlightened
upon the whole people was anything but right and proper.
Ameres saw, however, that Chebron was altogether differ-
ently constituted. He was very intelligent, and was pos-
sessed of an ardent thirst for a knowledge of all kinds; but


THE CHARACTER OF CHEBRON.
75
he had also his father's habit of looking at matters from all
points of view and of thinking for himself. The manner in
which Ameres had himself superintended his studies and
taught him to work with his understanding, and to con-
vince himself that each rule and precept was true before
proceeding to the next, had developed his thinking powers.
Altogether, Ameres saw that the doubts which filled his
own mind as to the honesty, or even expediency, of keeping
the whole people in darkness and error would probably be
felt with even greater force by Chebron.
He had determined, therefore, that the lad should not
work up through all the grades of the priesthood to the
upper rank, but should, after rising high enough to fit him-
self for official employment, turn his attention to one or
other of the great departments of state.
CHAPTER V.
IN LOWER EGYPT.
IAM going on a journey," Ameres said to his son, a few
days after the return from the farm. "I shall take
you with me, Chebron, for I am going to view the progress
of a fresh canal that is being made on our estate in Goshen.
The officer who is superintending it has doubts whether,
when the sluices are opened, it will altogether fulfil its pur-
pose, and I fear that some mistake must have been made
in the levels. I have already taught you the theory of the
work, it is well that you should gain some practical ex-
perience in it; for there is no more useful or honourable
profession than that of carrying out works by which the
floods of the Nile are conveyed to the thirsty soil."
"Thank you, father. I should like it greatly," Chebron


76
A STRANGER PEOPLE.
replied in a tone of delight, for he had never before been far
south of Thebes. "And may Amuba go with us?"
"Yes; I was thinking of taking him," the high-priest said.
"Jethro can also go, for I take a retinue with me. Did I
consult my own pleasure I would far rather travel without
this state and ceremony; but, as a functionary of state, I
must conform to the customs. And, indeed, even in Goshen
it is as well always to travel with some sort of state. The
people there are of a different race to ourselves. Although
they have dwelt a long time in the land and conform to its
customs, still they are notoriously a stubborn and obstinate
people, and there is more trouble in getting the public works
executed there than in any other part of the country."
"I have heard of them, father. They belong to the same
race as the shepherd kings who were such bitter tyrants to
Egypt. How is it that they stayed behind when the shep-
herds were driven out?"
"They are of the same race, but they came not with them,
and formed no part of their conquering armies. The shep-
herds, who, as you know, came from the land lying to the
east of the Great Sea, had reigned here for a long time when
this people came. They were relations of the Joseph who,
as you have read in your history, was chief minister of
Egypt.
"He came here as a slave, and was certainly brought from
the country whence our oppressors came. But they say that
he was not of their race, but that his forefathers had come
into the land from a country lying far to the east; but that
I know not . Suffice it he gained the confidence of the king,
became his minister, and ruled wisely as far as the king
was concerned, though the people have little reason to
bless his memory. In his days was a terrible famine, and
they say he foretold its coming, and that his gods gave
him warning of it. So, vast granaries were constructed
and filled to overflowing, and when the famine came and
the people were starving the grain was served out, but in


OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND.
77
return the people had to give up their land. Thus the
whole tenure of the land in the country was changed, and
all became the property of the state, the people remaining
as its tenants upon the land they formerly owned . Then it
was that the state granted large tracts to the temples and
others to the military order, so that at present all tillers
of land pay rent either to the king, the temples, or the
military order.
"Thus it is that the army can always be kept up in ser-
viceable order, dwelling by its tens of thousands in the
cities assigned to it. Thus it is that the royal treasury is
always kept full, and the services of the temples maintained.
The step has added to the power and dignity of the nation,
and has benefited the cultivators themselves by enabling
v ast works of irrigation to be carried out—works that could
never have been accomplished had the land been the pro-
perty of innumerable small holders, each with his own
petty interests."
"But you said, father, that it has not been for the good
of the people."
"Nor has it in one respect, Chebron, for it has drawn a
wide chasm between the aristocratic classes and the bulk of
the people, who can never own land, and have no stimulus
to exertion."
"But they are wholly ignorant, father. They are peasants,
and nothing more."
"I think they might be something more, Chebron, under
other circumstances. However, that is not the question we
are discussing. This Joseph brought his family out of the
land at the east of the Great Sea, and land was given to them
in Goshen, and they settled there and throve and multiplied
greatly. Partly because of the remembrance of the services
Joseph had rendered to the state, partly because they were
a kindred people, they were held in favour as long as the
shepherd kings ruled over us. But when Egypt rose, and
shook off the yoke they had groaned under so long, and


78
THE PEOPLE OF GOSHEN.
drove the shepherds and their followers out of the land,
this people—for they had now so grown in numbers as to be
in verity a people—remained behind, and they have been
naturally viewed with suspicion by us. They are akin to
our late oppressors, and lying as their land does to the
east, they could open the door to any fresh army of in-
vasion.
"Happily, now that our conquests have spread so far, and
the power of the people eastward of the Great Sea has been
completely broken, this reason for distrust has died out, but
Joseph's people are still viewed unfavourably. Prejudices
take long to die out among the masses, and the manner in
which these people cling together, marrying only among
themselves and keeping themselves apart from us, gives a
certain foundation for the dislike which exists. Personally,
I think the feeling is unfounded. They are industrious and
hard working, though they are, I own, somewhat disposed
to resist authority, and there is more difficulty in obtaining
the quota of men from Goshen for the execution of public
works than from any other of the provinces of Egypt."
"Do they differ from us in appearance, father?"
"Considerably, Chebron. They are somewhat fairer than
we are, their noses are more aquiline, and they are physi-
cally stronger. They do not shave their heads as we do, and
they generally let the hair on their faces grow. For a long
time after their settlement I believe that they worshipped
their own gods, or rather their own God, but they have long
adopted our religion."
"Surely that must be wrong," Chebron said. "Each nation
has its gods, and if a people forsake their own gods it is not
likely that other gods would care for them as they do for
their own people."
"It is a difficult question, Chebron, and one which it is
best for you to leave alone at present. You will soon enter
into the lower grade of the priesthood, and, although if you
do not pass into the upper grades you will never know the


PUZZLING QUESTIONS.
79
greater mysteries, you will yet learn enough to enlighten
you to some extent"
Chebron was. too well trained in the respect due to a
parent to ask further questions, but he renewed the subject
with Amuba as they strolled in the garden together after-
wards.
"I wonder how each nation found out who were the gods
who specially cared for them, Amuba?"
"I have no idea," Amuba, who had never given the sub-
ject a thought, replied. "You are always asking puzzling
questions, Chebron."
"Well, but it must have been somehow," Chebron in-
sisted. "Do you suppose that anyone ever saw our gods?
and if not, how do people know that one has the head of a
dog and another of a cat, or what they are like? Are some
gods stronger than others, because all people offer sacrifices
to the gods and ask for their help before going to battle?
Some are beaten and some are victorious; some win to-day
and lose to-morrow. Is it that these gods are stronger one
day than another? or that they do not care to help their
people sometimes? Why do they not prevent their temples
from being burned and their images from being thrown
down? It is all very strange."
"It is all very strange, Chebron. I was not long ago
asking Jethro nearly the same question, but he could give
me no answer. Why do you not ask your father—he is
one of the wisest of the Egyptians?"
"I have asked my father, but he will not answer me,"
Chebron said thoughtfully. "I think sometimes that it is
because I have asked these questions that he does not wish
me to become a high-priest I did not mean anything dis-
respectful to the gods. But somehow when I want to know
things, and he will not answer me, I think he looks sadly,
as if he was sorry at heart that he could not tell me what I
want to know."
"Have you ever asked your brother Neco?"


80
A JOURNEY DOWN THE NILE.
"Oh, Neco is different," Chebron said with an accent
almost of disdain. "Neco gets into passions and threatens
me with all sorts of things; but I can see he knows no more
about it than I do, for he has a bewildered look in his face
when I ask him these things, and once or twice he has put
his hands to his ears and fairly run away, as if I was saying
something altogether profane and impious against the gods."
On the following day the high-priest and his party started
for Goshen. The first portion of the journey was performed
by water. The craft was a large one, with a pavilion of
carved wood on deck, and two masts, with great sails of
many colours cunningly worked together. Persons of con-
sequence travelling in this way were generally accompanied
by at least two or three musicians playing on harps, trum-
pets, or pipes; for the Egyptians were passionately fond of
music, and no feast was thought complete without a band
to discourse soft music while it was going on. The instru-
ments were of the most varied kinds; stringed instruments
predominated, and these varied in size from tiny instruments
resembling zithers to harps much larger than those used in
modern times. In addition to these they had trumpets of
many forms, reed instruments, cymbals, and drums, the last-
named long and narrow in shape.
Ameres, however, although not averse to music after the
evening meal, was of too practical a character to care for it at
other times. He considered that it was too often an excuse
for doing nothing and thinking of nothing, and therefore
dispensed with it except on state occasions. As they floated
down the river he explained to his son the various objects
which they passed; told him the manner in which the fisher-
men in their high boats made of wooden planks bound
together by rushes, or in smaller crafts shaped like punts
formed entirely of papyrus bound together with bands of the
same plant, caught the fish; pointed out the entrances to the
various canals, and explained the working of the gates which
admitted the water; gave him the history of the various


THE PYRAMIDS.
81
temples, towns, and villages; named the many water-fowl
basking on the surface of the river, and told him of their
habits and how they were captured by the fowlers; he
pointed out the great tombs to him, and told him by whom
they were built
"The largest, my son, are monuments of pride and folly.
The greatest of the pyramids was built by a king who
thought it would immortalize him; but so terrible was the
labour that its construction inflicted upon the people that it
caused him to be execrated, and he was never laid in the
mausoleum he had built for himself. You see our custom
of judging kings after their death is not without advantages.
After a king is dead the people are gathered together and
the question is put to them, Has the dead monarch ruled
well? If they reply with assenting shouts, he is buried in
a fitting tomb which he has probably prepared for himself, or
which his successor raises to him; but if the answer is that
he has reigned ill, the sacred rites in his honour are omitted
and the mausoleum he has raised stands empty for ever.
"There are few, indeed, of our kings who have thus
merited the execration of their people; for as a rule the
careful manner in which they are brought up, surrounded
by youths chosen for their piety and learning, and the fact
that they, like the meanest of their subjects, are bound to
respect the laws of the land, act as sufficient check upon
them. But there is no doubt that the knowledge that after
death they must be judged by the people exercises a whole-
some restraint even upon the most reckless."
"I long to see the pyramids," Chebron said. "Are they
built of brick or stone, for I have been told that their sur-
face is so smooth and shiny that they look as if cut from
a single piece 1"
"They are built of vast blocks of stone, each of which
employed the labour of many hundreds of men to transport
from the quarries where they were cut"
"Were they the work of slaves or of the people at large?"
(481) K


82
HONOUR TO THE GODS.
"Vast numbers of slaves captured in war laboured at
them," the priest replied. "But numerous as these were
they were wholly insufficient for the work, and well-nigh
half the people of Egypt were forced to leave their homes
to labour at them. So great was the burden and distress
that even now the builders of these pyramids are never
spoken of save with curses; and rightly so, for what might
not have been done with the same labour usefully employed!
Why, the number of the canals in the country might be
doubled and the fertility of the soil vastly increased. Vast
tracts might have been reclaimed from the marshes and
shallow lakes, and the produce of the land might have been
doubled."
"And what splendid temples might have been raised!"
Chebron said enthusiastically.
"Doubtless, my son," the priest said quietly after a slight
pause. "But though it is meet and right that the temples
of the gods shall be worthy of them, still, as we hold that
the gods love Egypt and rejoice in the prosperity of the
people, I think that they might have preferred so vast an
improvement as the works I speak of would have effected
in the condition of the people, even to the raising of long
avenues of sphinxes and gorgeous temples in their own
honour."
"Yes, one would think so," Chebron said thoughtfully.
"And yet, father, we are always taught that our highest
duty is to pay honour to the gods, and that in no way can
money be so well spent as in raising fresh temples and add-
ing to the beauty of those that exist."
''Our highest duty is assuredly to pay honour to the
gods, Chebron; but how that honour can be paid most
acceptably is another and deeper question which you are a
great deal too young to enter upon. It will be time enough
for you to do that years hence. There, do you see that
temple standing on the right bank of the river ?—that is
where we stop for the night. My messenger will have


A BANQUET.
83
prepared them for our coming, and all will be in readiness
for us."
As they approached the temple they saw a number of
people gathered on the great stone steps reaching down to
the water's-edge, and strains of music were heard. On
landing Ameres was greeted with the greatest respect by
the priests all bowing to the ground, while those of inferior
order knelt with their faces to the earth, and did not raise
them until he had passed on. As soon as he entered the
temple a procession was formed. Priests bearing sacred
vessels and the symbols of the gods walked before him to
the altar; a band of unseen musicians struck up a pro-
cessional air; priestesses and maidens, also carrying offerings
and emblems, followed Ameres. He naturally took the prin-
cipal part in the sacrifice at the altar, cutting the throat
of the victim, and making the offering of the parts specially
set aside for the gods.
After the ceremonies were concluded the procession moved
in order as far as the house of the chief priest Here all
again saluted Ameres, who entered, followed by his son and
attendants. A banquet was already in readiness. To this
Ameres sat down with the principal priests, while Chebron
was conducted to the apartment prepared for him, where
food from the high table was served to him. Amuba and
the rest of the suite of the high-priest were served in
another apartment As soon as Chebron had finished he
joined Amuba.
"Let us slip away," he said. "The feasting will go on
for hours, and then there will be music far on into the night
My father will be heartily tired of it all; for he loves plain
food, and thinks that the priests should eat none other.
Still, as it would not be polite for a guest to remark upon
the viands set before him, I know that he will go through
it all. I have heard him say that it is one of the greatest
trials of his position that whenever he travels people seem
to think that a feast must be prepared for him; whereas I


84
EGYPTIAN PILLOWS.
know he would rather sit down to a dish of boiled lentils
and water than have the richest dishes set before him."
"Is it going to be like this all the journey?" Amuba
asked.
"Oh, no! I know that all the way down the river we
shall rest at a temple, for did my father not do so the
priests would regard it as a slight; but then we leave the
boat and journey in chariots or bullock-carts. When we
reach Goshen we shall live in a little house which my
father has had constructed for him, and where we shall
have no more fuss and ceremony than we do at our own
farm. Then he will be occupied with the affairs of the
estates and in the works of irrigation; and although we
shall be with him when he journeys about, as I am to begin
to learn the duties of a superintendent, I expect we shall
have plenty of time for amusement and sport."
They strolled for an hour or two on the bank of the
river, for the moon was shining brightly and many boats
were passing up and down; the latter drifted with the
stream, for the wind was so light that the sails were scarce
filled, the former kept close to the bank, and were either
propelled by long poles or towed by parties of men on the
bank. When they returned to the house they listened for a
time to the music, and then retired to their rooms. Amuba
lay down upon the soft couch made of a layer of bulrushes,-
covered with a thick woollen cloth, and rested his head on
a pillow of bulrushes which Jethro had bound up for him;
for neither of the Rebu had learned to adopt the Egyptian
fashion of using a stool for a pillow.
These stools were long, and somewhat curved in the
middle to fit the neck. For the common people they were
roughly made of wood, smoothed where the head came;
but the head-stools of the wealthy were constructed of
ebony, cedar and other scarce woods, beautifully inlaid
with ivory. Amuba had made several trials of these head-
stools, but had not once succeeded in going to sleep with


MEMPHIS.
85
one under his head, half an hour sufficing to cause such an
aching of his neck that he was glad to take to the pillow of
rushes to which he was accustomed. Indeed, to sleep upon
the stool-pillows, it was necessary to lie upon the side with
an arm so placed as to raise the head to the exact level of
the stool, and as Amuba had been accustomed to throw
himself down and sleep on his back or any other position
in which he first lay, for he was generally thoroughly tired
either in hunting or by exercise of arms, he found the
cramped and fixed position necessary for sleeping with a
hard stool absolutely intolerable.
For a week the journey down the river continued, and
then they arrived at Memphis, where they remained for
some days. Ameres passed the time in ceremonial visits and
in taking part in the sacrifices in the temple. Chebron and
Amuba visited all the temples and public buildings, and one
day went out to inspect the great pyramids attended by
Jethro.
"This surpasses anything I have seen," Jethro said as
they stood at the foot of the great pyramid of Cheops.
"What a wonderful structure, but what a frightful waste of
human labour!"
"It is marvellous, indeed," Amuba said. "What wealth
and power a monarch must have had to raise such a
colossal pile! I thought you said, Chebron, that your kings
were bound by laws as well as other people. If so, how
could this king have exacted such terrible toil and labour
from his subjects as this must have cost?"
"Kings should be bound by the laws," Chebron replied;
"but there are some so powerful and haughty that they
tyrannize over the people. Cheops was one of them. My
father has been telling me that he ground down the people
to build this wonderful tomb for himself. But he had
his reward, for at his funeral he had to be judged by
the public voice, and the public condemned him as a bad
and tyrannous king. Therefore he was not allowed to


86
AN EGYPTIAN FARMHOUSE.
be buried in the great tomb that he had built for him-
self. I know not where his remains rest, but this huge
pyramid stands as an eternal monument of the failure
of human ambition—the greatest and costliest tomb in the
world, but without an occupant, save that Theliene, one of
his queens, was buried here in a chamber near that destined
for the king."
"The people did well," Jethro said heartily; "but they
would have done better still had they risen against him and
cut off his head directly they understood the labour he was
setting them to do."
On leaving Memphis one more day's journey was made
by water, and the next morning the party started by land.
Ameres rode in a chariot, which was similar in form to those
used for war, except that the sides were much higher, form-
ing a sort of deep open box, against which those standing in
it could rest their bodies. Amuba and Chebron travelled vin
a wagon drawn by two oxen, the rest of the party walked
on foot.
At the end of two days they arrived at their destination.
The house was a small one compared to the great mansion
near Thebes, but it was built on a similar plan. A high
wall surrounded an inclosure of a quarter of an acre. In
the centre stood the house with one large apartment for
general purposes, and small bed-chambers opening from it
on either side. The garden, although small, was kept with
scrupulous care. Rows of fruit-trees afforded a pleasant
shade. In front of the house there was a small pond bor
dered with lilies and rushes. A Nubian slave and his wife
kept everything in readiness for the owner whenever he
should appear. A larger retinue of servants was unneces-
sary, as a cook and barber were among those who travelled
in the train of Ameres. The overseer of the estate was in
readiness to receive the high-priest.
"I have brought my son with me," Ameres said when
the ceremonial observances and salutations were concluded


EGYPTIAN CASTES.
87
"He is going to commence his studies in irrigation, but I
shall not have time at present to instruct him. I wish him
to become proficient in out-door exercises, and beg you to
procure men skilled in fishing, fowling, and hunting, so
that he can amuse his unoccupied hours with sport At
Thebes he has but rare opportunities for these matters; for,
excepting in the preserves, game has become well-nigh
extinct, while as for fowling there is none of it to be
had in Upper Egypt, while here in the marshes birds
abound."
The superintendent promised that suitable men should be
forthcoming, one of each caste; fot in Egypt men always
followed the occupation of their fathers, and each branch
of trade was occupied by men forming distinct castes, who
married only in their own caste, worked just as their fathers
had done before them, and did not dream of change or ele-
vation. Thus the fowler knew nothing about catching fish,
or the fishermen of fowling. Both, however, knew some-
thing about hunting; for the slaying of the hyenas, who
carried off the young lambs and kids from the villages, and
the great river-horses, which came out and devastated the
fields, was a part of the business of every villager.
The country where they now were was for the most part
well cultivated and watered by the canals, which were filled
when the Nile was high.
A day's journey to the north lay Lake Menzaleh—a great
shallow lagoon, which stretched away to the Great Sea, from
which it was separated only by a narrow bank of sand.
The canals of the Nile reached nearly to the edge of this,
and when the river rose above its usual height and threat-
ened to inundate the country beyond the usual limits, and
to injure instead of benefiting the cultivators, great gates
at the end of these canals would be opened, and the
water find its way into the lagoon. There were, too, con-
nections between some of the lower arms of the Nile and
the lake, so that the water, although salt, was less so than


A HUNTING EXPEDITION.
89
provisions will be ready to start The hunters of this part
of the country will be of little use to you, so I have ordered
one of my chief men to accompany you.
"He will see that when you arrive you obtain men skilled
in the sport, and acquainted with the locality and the habits
of the wild creatures them My lord your father said you
would probably be away for a week, and that on your
return you would from time to time have a day's hunting in
these parts. He thought that as your time will be more
occupied then, it were better that you should make this dis-
tant expedition to begin with."
An hour later some twenty slaves drew up before the
house, carrying on their heads, provisions, tents, and other
necessaries. A horse was provided for Chebron, but he
decided that he would walk with Amuba.
"There is no advantage in going on a horse," he said,
"when you have to move at the pace of footmen, and pos-
sibly we may find something to shoot on the way."
The leader of the party, upon hearing Chebron's decision,
told him that doubtless when they left the cultivated
country, which extended but a few miles further north, game
would be found. Six dogs accompanied them. Four of
them were powerful animals, kept for the chase of the more
formidable beasts, the hyena or lion, for although there were
no lions in the flat country, they abounded in the broken
grounds at the foot of the hills to the south. The other
two were much more lightly built, and were capable of
running down a deer. Dogs were held in high honour in
Egypt In some parts of the country they were held to be
sacred. In all they were kept as companions and friends in
the house as well as for the purposes of the chase. The
season was the cold one, and the heat was so much less than
they were accustomed to at Thebes—where the hills which
inclosed the plain on which the city was built cut off much
of the air, and seemed to reflect the sun's rays down upon
it—that the walk was a pleasant one.


90
A HARDLY-TREATED RACE.
Chebron and Amuba, carrying their bows, walked along,
chatting gaily at the head of the party. Jethro and Rabah
the foreman came next Then followed two slaves, leading
the dogs in leashes, ready to be slipped at a moment's notice,
while the carriers followed in the rear. Occasionally they
passed through scattered villages, where the women came
to their doors to look at the strangers, and where generally
offerings of milk and fruit were made to them. The men
were for the most part at work in the fields.
"They are a stout-looking race. Stronger and more
bony than our own people," Chebron remarked to the leader
of the party.
"They are stubborn to deal with," he replied. "They
till their ground well, and pay their portion of the produce
without grumbling, but when any extra labour is asked of
them there is sure to be trouble. It is easier to manage
a thousand Egyptian peasants than a hundred of these
Israelites, and if forced labour is required for the public
service it is always necessary to bring down the troops
before we can obtain it
"But indeed they are hardly treated fairly, and have
suffered much. They arrived in Egypt during the reign of
Usertuen L, and had land allotted to them. During the
reign of the king and other successors of his dynasty they
were held in favour, and multiplied greatly; but when the
Theban dynasty succeeded that of Memphis, the kings, find-
ing this foreign people settled here, and seeing that they
were related by origin to the shepherd tribes who at various
times have threatened our country from the east, and have
even conquered portions of it and occupied it for long
periods, they regard them with hostility, and have treated
them rather as prisoners of war than as a portion of the
people. Many burdens have been laid upon them. They
have had to give far more than their fair share of labour
towards the public works, the making of bricks, and the
erection of royal tombs and pyramids."


WOMEN OF SPIRIT.
91
"It is strange that they do not shave their heads as do
our people," Chebron said.
"But I do not," Amuba laughed, "nor Jethro."
"It is different with you," Chebron replied. "You do
not labour and get the dust of the soil in your hair.
Besides, you do keep it cut quite short. Still, I think you
would be more comfortable if you followed our fashion."
"It is all a matter of habit," Amuba replied. "To us,
when we first came here, the sight of all the poorer people
going about with their heads shaven was quite repulsive
—and as for comfort, surely one's own hair must be more
comfortable than the great wigs that all of the better class
wear."
"They keep off the sun," Chebron said, "when one is out
of doors, and are seldom worn in the house, and then when
one comes in one can wash off the dust"
"I can wash the dust out of my hair," Amuba said.
"Still I do think that these Israelites wear their hair in-
conveniently long; and yet the long plaits that their women
wear down their back are certainly graceful, and the women
themselves are fair and comely."
Chebron shook his head. "They may be fair, Amuba,
but I should think they would make very troublesome
wives. They lack altogether the subdued and submissive
look of our women. They would, I should say, have opinions
of their own, and not be submissive to their lords; is that
not so, Rabah?"
"The women like the men have spirit and fire," the fore-
man answered, "and have much voice in all domestic matters;
but I do not know that they have more than with us. They
can certainly use their tongues; for, at times, when soldiers
have been here to take away gangs of men for public works,
they have more trouble with them than with the men. The
latter are sullen, but they know that they must submit; but
the women gather at a little distance and scream curses and
abuse at the troops, and sometimes even pelt them with


92
A STAG HUNT
stones, knowing that the soldiers will not draw weapon upon
them, although not unfrequently it is necessary in order to
put a stop to the tumult to haul two or three of their
leaders off to prison."
"I thought they were viragoes," Chebron said with a
laugh. "I would rather hunt a lion than have the women
of one of these villages set upon me."
In a few miles cultivation became more rare; sand hills
took the place of the level fields, and only here and there in
the hollows were patches of cultivated ground. Rabah now
ordered the slave leading the two fleet dogs to keep close
up and be in readiness to slip them.
"We may see deer at any time now," he said. "They
abound in these sandy deserts which form their shelter, and
yet are within easy distance of fields where when such
vegetation as is here fails them they can go for food."
A few minutes later a deer started from a clump of bushes.
The dogs were instantly let slip and started in pursuit.
"Hurry on a hundred yards and take your position on that
mound!" Rabah exclaimed to Chebron, while at the same
time he signalled to the slaves behind to stop. "The dogs
know their duty, and you will see they will presently drive
the stag within shot."
Chebron called Amuba to follow him and ran forward.
By the time they reached the mound the stag was far away,
with the dogs labouring in pursuit. At present they seemed
to have gained but little, if at all, upon him, and all were
soon hidden from sight among the sand hills. In spite of
the assurance of Rabah the lads had doubts whether the
dogs would ever drive their quarry back to the spot where
they were standing, and it was full a quarter of an hour
before pursuers and pursued came in sight again. The pace
had greatly fallen off, for one of the dogs was some twenty
yards behind the stag, the other was out on its flank at
about the same distance away, and was evidently aiding in
turning it towards the spot where the boys were standing:


A GOOD SHOT.
93
"We will shoot together," Chebron said. "It will come
within fifty yards of us."
They waited until the stag was abreast of them. The
dog on its flank had now fallen back to the side of his
companion as if to leave the stag clear for the arrows of the
hunters. The lads fired together just as the stag was abreast;
but it was running faster than they had allowed for, and
both arrows flew behind it. They uttered exclamations of
disappointment, but before the deer had run twenty yards
it gave a sudden leap into the air and fell over. Jethro
had crept up and taken his post behind some bushes to the
left of the clump in readiness to shoot should the others
miss, and his arrow had brought the stag to the ground.
"Well done, Jethro!" Amuba shouted. "It is so long
since I was out hunting that I seem to have lost my skill;
but it matters not since we have brought him down."
The dogs stood quiet beside the deer who was struggling
on the ground, being too well trained to interfere with it.
Jethro ran out and cut its throat. The others were soon
standing beside it. It was of a species smaller than those
to which the deer of Europe belong, with two long straight
horns.
"It will make a useful addition to our fare to-night,"
Rabah said, "although, perhaps, some of the other sorts are
better eating."
"Do the dogs never pull them down by themselves?"
Amuba asked.
"Very seldom. These two are particularly fleet, but I
doubt whether they would have caught it . These deer can
run for a long time, and although they will let dogs gain
upon them they can leave them if they choose. Still I have
known this couple run down a deer when they could not
succeed in driving it within bowshot; but they know very
well they ought not to do so, for, of course, deer are of no
use for food unless the animals are properly killed and the
blood allowed to escape."


94
HYENAS.
Several other stags were started, but these all escaped,
the dogs being too fatigued with their first run to be able
to keep up with them. The other dogs were therefore
unloosed and allowed to range about the country. They
started several hyenas, some of which they themselves
killed; others they brought to bay until the lads ran up
and despatched them with their arrows, while others which
took to flight in sufficient time got safely away, for the
hyena, unless overtaken just at the start, can run long and
swiftly and tire out heavy dogs such as those the party had
with them.
After walking some fifteen miles the lads stopped suddenly
on the brow of a sand hill . In front of them was a wide
expanse of water bordered by a band of vegetation. Long
rushes and aquatic plants formed a band by the water's-
edge, while here and there huts with patches of cultivated
ground dotted the country.
"We are at the end of our journey," Rabah said. "These
huts are chiefly inhabited by fowlers and fishermen. We
will encamp at the foot of this mound. It is better for us
not to go too near the margin of the water, for the air is
not salubrious to those unaccustomed to it. The best hunt-
ing ground lies a few miles to our left, for there, when the
river is high, floods come down through a valley which is at
all times wet and marshy. There we may expect to find
game of all kinds in abundance."
CHAPTER VL
FOWLING AND FISHING.
THE tents, which were made of light cloth intended to
keep off the night dews rather than to afford warmth,
were soon pitched, fires were lighted with fuel that had


A LOVELY VIEW.
95
been brought with them in order to save time in searching
for it, and Rabah went off to search for fish and fowl . He
returned in half an hour with a peasant carrying four ducks
and several fine fish.
"We shall do now," he said; "with these and the stag
our larder is complete. Everything but meat we have
brought with us."
Chebron, although he had kept on bravely, was fatigued
with his walk and was glad to throw himself down on the
sand and enjoy the prospect which to him was a new one,
for he had never before seen so wide an expanse of water.
When on the top of the hill he had made out a faint dark
line in the distance, and this Rabah told him was the bank
of sand that separated the lake from the great sea. Now
from his present position this was invisible, and nothing
but a wide expanse of water stretching away until it seemed
to touch the sky met his view. Here and there it was
dotted with dark patches which were, Rabah told him,
clumps of water-fowl, and in the shallow water near the
margin which was but a quarter of a mile away he could
see vast numbers of wading birds, white cranes, and white
and black ibises, while numbers of other water-fowl, looking
like black specks, moved about briskly among them.
Sometimes with loud cries a number would rise on the
wing, and either make off in a straight line across the water
or circle round and settle again when they found that their
alarm was groundless.
"It is lovely, is it not?" he exclaimed to Amuba, who
was standing beside him leaning on his bow and looking
over the water.
Amuba did not reply immediately, and Chebron looking
up saw that there were tears on his cheeks.
"What is it, Amuba?" he asked anxiously.
"It is nothing, Chebron; but the sight of this wide water
takes my thoughts homewards. Our city stood on a sea
like this, not so large as they say is this great sea we are


A FREE LIFE.
97
by themselves or joining with one of the peoples who push
past us from the far East; besides, wherever we went we
should take our country with us, build houses like those we
left behind, live by the chase or fishing in one place as
another, while the Egyptians could nowhere find a country
like Egypt I suppose it is the people more than the country,
the familiar language, and the familiar faces and ways, I
grant freely that the Egyptians are a far greater people than
we, more powerful, more learned, the masters of many arts,
the owners of many comforts and luxuries, and yet one
longs sometimes for one's free life among the Rebu."
"One thing is, Amuba, you were a prince there and you
are not here. Had you been but a common man, born to
labour, to toil, or to fight at the bidding of your king, you
might perhaps find that the life even of an Egyptian peasant
is easier and more pleasant than yours was."
"That may be," Amuba said thoughtfully, "and yet I
think that the very poorest among us was far freer and
more independent than the richest of your Egyptian peasants.
He did not grovel on the ground when the king passed along.
It was open to him if he was braver than his fellows to rise in
rank. He could fish, or hunt, or till the ground, or fashion
arms as he chose; his life was not tied down by usage or
custom. He was a man, a poor one, perhaps—a half savage
one, if you will—but he was a man, while your Egyptian
peasants, free as they may be in name, are the very slaves
of law and custom. But I see that the meal is ready, and
I have a grand appetite."
"So have I, Amuba. It is almost worth while walking
a long way for the sake of the appetite one gets at the
end."
The meal was an excellent one. One of the slaves who
had been brought was an adept at cooking, and fish, birds,
and venison were alike excellent, and for once the vege-
tables that formed so large a portion of the ordinary Egyp-
tian repast were neglected.
(481) o


98
FOWLING.
"What are we going to do to-morrow, Rabah?" Chebron
asked after the meal was concluded.
"I have arranged for to-morrow, if such is your pleasure,
my lord, that you shall go fowling. A boat will take you
along the lake to a point about three miles off where the
best sport is to be had, then when the day is over it will
carry you on another eight miles to the place I spoke to
you of where good sport was to be obtained. I shall meet
you on your landing there, and will have everything in
readiness for you."
"That will do well," Chebron said. "Amuba and Jethro,
you will, of course, come with me."
As soon as it was daylight Rabah led Chebron down to
the lake, and the lad with Amuba and Jethro entered the
boat, which was constructed of rushes covered with pitch,
and drew only two or three inches of water. Two men with
long poles were already in the boat, they were fowlers by
profession, and skilled in all the various devices by which
the water-fowl were captured. They had, during the night,
been preparing the boat for the expedition by fastening
rushes all round it; the lower ends of these dipped into the
water, the upper ends were six feet above it, and the rushes
were so thickly placed together as to form an impenetrable
screen.
The boat was square at the stern, and here only was
there an opening a few inches wide in the rushes to enable
the boatman standing there to propel the boat with his pole.
One of the men took his station here, the other at the bow,
where he peered through a little opening between the rushes,
and directed his comrade in the stern as to the course he
should take. In the bottom of the boat lay two cats who,
knowing that their part was presently to come, watched all
that was being done with an air of intelligent interest A
basket well stored with provisions, and a jar of wine, were
placed on board, and the boat then pushed noiselessly off.
Parting the reeds with their fingers and peeping out, the


GOOD SPORT.
99
boys saw that the boat was not making out into the deeper
part of the lake, but was skirting the edge, keeping only a
few yards out from the band of rushes at its margin.
"Do you keep this distance all the way?" Chebron asked
the man with the pole.
The man nodded.
"As long as we are close to the rushes the water-fowl do
not notice our approach, while were we to push out into the
middle they might take the alarm; although we often do
capture them in that way, but in that case we get to wind-
ward of the flock we want to reach, and then drift down
slowly upon them, but we shall get more sport now by
keeping close in. The birds are numerous, and you will
soon be at work."
In five minutes the man at the bow motioned his pas-
sengers that they were approaching a flock of water-fowl.
Each of them took up his bow and arrows and stood in
readiness, while the man in the stern used his pole even
more quickly and silently than before. Presently at a signal
from his comrades he ceased poling. All round the boat
there were slight sounds — low contented quackings, and
fluttering of wings, as the birds raised themselves and shook
the water from their backs. Parting the rushes in front of
them, the two lads and Jethro peeped through them.
They were right in the middle of a flock of wild fowl
who were feeding without a thought of danger from the
clump of rushes in their midst The arrows were already in
their notches, the rushes were parted a little further, and the
three shafts were loosed. The twangs of the bows startled
the ducks, and stopping feeding they gazed at the rushes
with heads on one side. Three more arrows glanced out,
but this time one of the birds aimed at was wounded only,
and uttering a cry of pain and terror it flapped along the
surface of the water.
Instantly, with wild cries of alarm, the whole flock arose,
but before they had fairly settled in their flight, two more


100
THROWING-STICKS.
fell pierced with arrows. The cats had been standing on
the alert, and as the cry of alarm was given leapt overboard
from the stern, and proceeded to pick up the dead ducks,
among which were included that which had at first flown
away, for it had dropped in the water about fifty yards from
the boat A dozen times the same scene was repeated until
some three score ducks and geese lay in the bottom of the
boat By this time the party had had enough of sport, and
had indeed lost the greater part of their arrows, as all which
failed to strike the bird aimed at went far down into the
deep mud at the bottom and could not be recovered
.
"Now let the men show us their skill with their throw-
ing-sticks," Chebron said. "You will see they will do better
with them than we with our arrows."
The men at once turned the boat's head towards a patch
of rushes growing from the shallow water a hundred yards
out in the lake. Numbers of ducks and geese were feeding
round it, and the whole rushes were in movement from those
swimming and feeding among them, for the plants were just
at that time in seed. The birds were too much occupied to
mark the approach of this fresh clump of rushes. The men
had removed the screen from the side of the boat furthest
from the birds, and now stood in readiness, each holding
half-a-dozen sticks about two feet long, made of curved and
crooked wood.
When close to the birds the boat was swung round, and
at once with deafening cries the birds rose; but as they did
so the men with great rapidity hurled their sticks one after
another among them, the last being directed at the birds
which, feeding among the rushes, were not able to rise as
rapidly as their companions. The lads were astonished at
the effect produced by these simple missiles. So closely
packed were the birds that each stick, after striking one,
whirled and twisted among the others, one missile frequently
bringing down three or four birds.
The cats were in an instant at work . The flapping and


"CURIOUS THINGS."
101
noise was prodigious, for although many of the birds were
killed outright, others struck in the wing or leg were but
slightly injured. Some made off along the surface of the
water, others succeeded in getting up and flying away, but
the greater part were either killed by the cats, or knocked
on the head by the poles of the two fowlers. Altogether
twenty-seven birds were added to the store in the boat
"That puts our arrows to shame altogether, Amuba,"
Chebron said. "I have always heard that the fowlers on
these lakes were very skilled with these throwing-sticks of
theirs, but I could not have believed it possible that two men
should in so short a space have effected such a slaughter;
but then I had no idea of the enormous quantities of birds
on these lakes."
Jethro was examining the sticks which, as well as the
ducks, had been retrieved by the cats.
"They are curious things," he said to Amuba. "I was
thinking before the men used them that straight sticks
would be much better, and was wondering why they choose
curved wood, but I have no doubt now the shape has some-
thing to do with it You see as the men threw they gave
them a strong spinning motion. That seems the secret of
their action. It was wonderful to see how they whirled
about among the fowl, striking one on the head, another on
the leg, another on the wing, until they happened to hit one
plump on the body; that seemed to stop them. I am suie
one of those sticks that I kept my eyes fixed on must have
knocked down six birds. I will practice with these things,
and if I ever get back home I will teach their use to our
people. There are almost as many water-fowl on our sea as
there are here. I have seen it almost black with them down
at the southern end, where it is bordered by swamps and
reed-covered marshes."
"How do they catch them there, Jethro," Chebron
asked.
"They net them in decoys, and sometimes wade out


102
A CLEVER STRATAGEM.
among them with their heads hidden among floating boughs,
and so get near enough to seize them by the legs and pull
them under water; in that way a man will catch a score of
them before their comrades are any the wiser."
"We catch them the same way here," one of the fowlers
who had been listening remarked. "We weave little bowers
just large enough for our heads and shoulders to go into,
and leave three or four of them floating about for some days
near the spot where we mean to work, the wild fowl get
accustomed to them, and after that we can easily go among
them and capture numbers."
"I should think fowling must be a good trade," Chebron
said.
"It is good enough at times," the man replied; "but the
ducks are not here all the year. The long-legged birds are
always to be found here in numbers, but the ducks are un-
certain, so are the geese. At certain times in the year they
leave us altogether. Some say they go across the great sea
to the north; others that they go far south into Nubia.
Then even when they are here they are uncertain. Some-
times they are thick here, then again there is scarce one to
be seen, and we hear they are swarming on the lakes further
to the west Of course the wading birds are of no use for
food; so you see when the ducks and geese are scarce, we
have a hard time of it Then, again, even when we have
got a boat load we have a long way to take it to market,
and when the weather is hot all may get spoilt before we
can sell them; and the price is so low in these parts when
the flocks are here, that it is hard to lay by enough money to
keep us and our families during the slack time. If the great
cities Thebes and Memphis lay near to us, it would be dif-
ferent They could consume all we could catch, and we
should get better prices, but unless under very favourable
circumstances there is no hope of the fowl keeping good
during the long passage up the river to Thebes. In fact
were it not for our decoys we should starve. In these, of


DECOYS.
103
course, we take them alive, and send them in baskets to
Thebes, and in that way get a fair price for them."
"What sort of decoys do you use?" Jethro asked.
"Many kinds," the man replied. "Sometimes we arch
over the rushes, tie them together at the top so as to form
long passages over little channels among the rushes; then
we strew corn over the water, and place near the entrance
ducks which are trained to swim about outside until a flock
comes near; then they enter the passage feeding, and the
others follow. There is a sort of door which they can push
aside easily as they pass up, but cannot open on their return."
"That is the sort of decoy they use in our country,"
Jethro said.
"Another way," the fowler went on, "is to choose a spot
where the rushes form a thick screen twenty yards deep
along the bank, then a light net two or three hundred feet
long is pegged down on to the shore behind them, and thrown
over the tops of the rushes reaching to within a foot or two
of the water. Here it is rolled up, so that when it is shaken
out it will go down into the water. Then two men stand
among the rushes at the ends of the net, while another goes
out far on to the lake in a boat When he sees a flock of
ducks swimming near the shore he poles the boat towards
them; not so rapidly as to frighten them into taking flight,
but enough so to attract their attention and cause uneasiness.
He goes backwards and forwards, gradually approaching the
shore, and of course managing so as to drive them towards
the point where the net is. When they are opposite this he
closes in faster, and the ducks all swim in among the rushes.
Directly they are in, the men at the ends of the net shake
down the rolled-up part, and then the whole flock are
prisoners. After that the fowlers have only to enter the
rushes, and take them as they try to fly upwards and are
stopped by the net With luck two or three catches can
be made in a day, and a thousand ducks and sometimes
double that number can be captured. Then they are put


104
POULTRY FARMS.
into flat baskets just high enough for them to stand in with
their heads out through the openings at the top, and so
put on board the boat and taken up the Nile."
"Yes, I have often seen the baskets taken out of the
boat," Chebron said, "and thought how cruel it was to pack
them so closely. But how do they feed them, for they must
often be a fortnight on the way?"
"The trader who has bought them of us and other
fowlers waits until he has got enough together to freight
a large craft—for it would not pay to work upon a small
scale—accompanies them up the river, and feeds them
regularly with little balls made of moistened flour, just in
the same way that they do at the establishments in Upper
Egypt, where they raise fowl and stuff them for the markets.
If the boat is a large one, and is taking up forty or fifty
thousand fowl, of course he takes two or three boys to help
him, for it is no light matter to feed such a number, and
each must have a little water as well as the meal. It seems
strange to us here, where fowl are so abundant, that people
should raise and feed them just as if they were bullocks.
But I suppose it is true."
"It is quite true," Chebron replied. "Amuba and I went
to one of the great breeding farms two or three months ago.
There are two sorts—one where they hatch, the other where
they fat them. The one we went to embraced both branches,
but this is unusual. From the hatching-places collectors go
round to all the people who keep fowls for miles round and
bring in eggs, and besides these they buy them from others
at a greater distance. The eggs are placed on sand laid on
the floor of a low chamber, and this is heated by means of
flues from a fire underneath. It requires great care to keep
the temperature exactly right; but of course men who pass
their lives at this work can regulate it exactly, and know
by the feel just what is the heat at which the eggs should
be kept
.
"There are eight or ten such chambers in the place we


106
A FRESH CAMPING GROUND.
Then each time the flap is lifted they think it is daylight,
and pop out their heads at once to see. In about ten
days they get quite fat and plump, and are ready for market."
"It seems a wonderful deal of trouble," the fowler said.
"But, I suppose, as they have a fine market close at hand,
and can get good prices, it pays them. It seems more
reasonable to me than the hatching business. Why they
should not let the fowl hatch their own eggs is more than I
can imagine."
"Fowls will lay a vastly greater number of eggs than they
will hatch," Chebron said. "A well-fed fowl should lay two
hundred and fifty eggs in the year; and, left to herself, she
will not hatch more than two broods of fifteen eggs in each.
Thus, you see, as it pays the peasants much better to reai
fowls than to sell eggs, it is to their profit to send their eggs
to the hatching-places, and so to get a hundred and twenty-
five chickens a year instead of thirty."
"I suppose it does," the fowler agreed. "But here we are,
my lord, at the end of our journey. There is the point
where we are to land, and your servant who hired us is
standing there in readiness for you. I hope that you are
satisfied with your day's sport."
Chebron said they had been greatly pleased, and in a few
minutes the boat reached the landing-place where Rabah
was awaiting them. One of the fowlers, carrying a dozen of
the finest fowl they had killed, accompanied them to the
spot Rabah had chosen for the encampment. Like the last,
it stood at the foot of the sand-hills, a few hundred yards
from the lake.
"Is the place where we are going to hunt near here?"
was Chebron's first question.
"No, my lord; it is two miles away. But, in accordance
with your order last night, I have arranged for you to fish
to-morrow. In the afternoon I will move the tents a mile
nearer to the country where you will hunt, but it is best
not to go too close, for near the edge of these great swamps


A day's fishing.
107
the air is unhealthy to those who are not accustomed
to it."
"I long to get at the hunting," Chebron said; "but it is
better, as you say, to have the day's fishing first, for the
work would seem tame after the excitement of hunting the
river-horse. We shall be glad of our dinner as soon as we
can get it, for although we have done justice to the food you
put on board, we are quite ready again. Twelve hours of
this fresh air from the sea gives one the appetite of a
hyena."
"Everything is already in readiness, my lord . I thought
it better not to wait for the game you brought home, which
will do well to-morrow, and so purchased fish and fowl from
the peasants. As we have seen your boat for the last two
or three hours, we were able to calculate the time of your
arrival, and thus have everything in readiness."
The dinner was similar to that on the previous day, except
that a hare took the place of the venison—a change for the
better, as the hare was a delicacy much appreciated by the
Egyptians. The following day was spent in fishing. For
this purpose a long net was used, and the method was pre-
cisely similar to that in use in modern times. One end of
the net was fastened to the shore, the net itself being coiled
up in the boat. This was rowed out into the lake, the
fishermen paying out the net as it went . A circuit was
then made back to the shore, where the men seized the
two ends of the net and hauled it to land, capturing the
fish inclosed within its sweep. After seeing two or three
hauls made, the lads went with Jethro on board the boat.
They were provided by the fishermen with long two-
pronged spears.
The boat was then quietly rowed along the edge of the
rushes, where the water was deeper than usual. It was,
however, so clear that they could see to the bottom, and with
their spears they struck at the fish swimming there. At first
they were uniformly unsuccessful, as they were ignorant that


108
A VILLAGE FEUD.
allowance must be made for diffraction, and were puzzled at
finding that their spears instead of going straight down at
the fish they struck at, seemed to bend off at an angle at the
water's-edge. The fishermen, however, explained to them
that an allowance must be made for this, the allowance being
all the greater the greater the distance the fish was from the
boat, and that it was only when it lay precisely under them
that they could strike directly at it. But even after being
instructed in the matter they succeeded but poorly, and
presently laid down their spears and contented themselves
with watching their boatmen, who rarely failed in striking
and bringing up the prey they aimed at.
Presently their attention was attracted to four boats, each
containing from six to eight men. Two had come from
either direction, and when they neared each other volleys of
abuse were exchanged between their occupants.
"What is all this about?" Chebron asked, as the two
fishermen laid by their spears, and with faces full of excite-
ment turned round to watch the boats.
"The boats come from two villages, my lord, between
which at present there is a feud arising out of some fishing
nets that were carried away. They sent a regular challenge
to each other a few days since, as is the custom here, and
their champions are going to fight it out . You see the
number of men on one side are equal to those on the other,
and the boats are about the same size."
Amuba and Jethro looked on with great interest, for they
had seen painted on the walls representations of these fights
between boatmen, which were of common occurrence, the
Egyptians being a very combative race, and fierce feuds
being often carried on for a long time between neighbouring
villages. The men were armed with poles some ten feet in
length, and about an inch and a half in diameter, their
favourite weapons on occasions of this kind. The boats had
now come in close contact, and a furious battle at once com-
menced, the clattering of the sticks, the heavy thuds of the


A DESPERATE FIGHT.
109
blows, and the shouts of the combatants creating a clamour
that caused all the water-fowl within a circle of half a mile
to fly screaming away across the lake. The men all used
their heavy weapons with considerable ability, the greater
part of the blows being warded oft Many, however, took
effect, some of the combatants being knocked into the
water, others fell prostrate in their boats, while some
dropped their long staves after a disabling blow on the
arm.
"It is marvellous that they do not all kill each other,"
Jethro said. "Surely this shaving of the head, Amuba,
which has always struck us as being very peculiar, has its
uses, for it must tend to thicken the skull, for surely the
heads of no other men could have borne such blows without
being crushed like water-jars."
That there was certainly some ground for Jethro's suppo-
sition is proved by the fact that Herodotus, long afterwards
writing of the desperate conflicts between the villagers of
Egypt, asserted that their skulls were thicker than those of
any other people.
Most of the men who fell into the water scrambled back
into the boats and renewed the fight, but some sank imme-
diately and were seen no more. At last, when fully half the
men on each side had been put hors de combat, four or five
having been killed or drowned, the boats separated, no
advantage resting with either party; and still shouting
defiance and jeers at each other, the men poled in the
direction of their respective villages.
"Are such desperate fights as these common?" Chebron
asked the fishermen.
"Yes; there are often quarrels," one of them replied,
quietly resuming his fishing as if nothing out of the ordi-
nary way had taken place. "If they are water-side villages
their champions fight in boats, as you have seen; if not,
equal parties meet at a spot half way between the villages
and decide it on foot Sometimes they fight with short


110
THE NEBOOT.
sticks, the hand being protected by a basket hilt, while on
the left arm a piece of wood, extending from the elbow to
the tips of the fingers, is fastened on by straps, serving as a
shield; but more usually they fight with the long pole, which
we call the neboot."
"It is a fine weapon," Jethro said, "and they guard their
heads with it admirably, sliding their hands far apart. If
I were back again, Amuba, I should like to organize a regi-
ment of men armed with those weapons. It would need
that the part used as a guard should be covered with
light iron to prevent a sword or axe from cutting through it;
but with that addition they would make splendid weapons,
and footmen armed with sword and shield would find it
hard indeed to repel an assault by them."
"The drawback would be," Amuba observed, "that each
man would require so much room to wield his weapon that
they must stand far apart, and each would be opposed to
three or four swordsmen in the enemy's line."
"That is true, Amuba, and you have certainly hit upon
the weak point in the use of such a weapon; but for single
combat, or the fighting of broken ranks, they would be
grand. When we get back to Thebes if I can find any
peasant who can instruct me in the use of these neboots I
will certainly learn it."
"You ought to make a fine player," one of the fishermen
said, looking at Jethro's powerful figure. "I should not
like a crack on the head from a neboot in your hands. But
the sun is getting low, and we had best be moving to the
point where you are to disembark."
"We have had another capital day, Rabah," Chebron said
when they reached their new encampment . "I hope that
the rest will turn out as successful."
"I think that I can promise you that they will, my lord.
I have been making inquiries among the villagers, and find
that the swamp in the river - bed abounds with hippo-
potami"


"THEY MUST BE COWARDLY BEASTS."
Ill
"How do you hunt them?—on foot?"
"No, my lord. There is enough water in the river-bed
for the flat boats made of bundles of rushes to pass up,
while in many places are deep pools in which the animals
lie during the heat of the day."
"Are they ferocious animals?" Amuba asked. "I have
never yet seen one; for though they say that they are com-
mon in the Upper Nile as well as found in swamps like this
at its mouth, there are none anywhere in the neighbourhood
of Thebes. I suppose that there is too much traffic for
them, and that they are afraid of showing themselves in
such water."
"There would be do food for them," Rabah said. "They
are found only in swamps like this, or in places on the
Upper Nile where the river is shallow and bordered with
aquatic plants, on whose roots they principally live. They
are timid creatures, and are found only in; little frequented
places. When struck they generally try to make their escape;
for although occasionally they will rush with their enormous
mouth open at a boat, tear it in pieces, and kill the hunter,
this very seldom happens. As a rule they try only to fly."
"They must be cowardly beasts!" Jethro said scornfully.
"I would rather hunt an animal, be it ever so small, that
will make a fight for its life. However, we shall see."
Upon the following morning they started for the scene
of action. An exclamation of surprise broke from them
simultaneously when, on ascending a sand-hill . they saw
before them a plain a mile wide extending at their feet It
was covered with rushes and other aquatic plants, and ex-
tended south as far as the eye could see.
"For one month in the year," Rabah said, "this is a river,
for eleven it is little more than a swamp, though the shallower
boats can make their way up it many miles. But a little
water always finds its way down either from the Nile itself
or from the canals. It is one of the few places of Northern
Egypt where the river-horse is still found, and none are


112
DANGEROUS ENEMIES.
allowed to hunt them unless they are of sufficient rank to
obtain the permission of the governor of the province. The
steward wrote for and obtained this as soon as he knew by
letter from your father that you were accompanying him,
and would desire to have some sport."
"Are there crocodiles there?" Amuba asked.
"Many," Rabah replied, "although few are now found in
the lakes. The people here are not like those of the Theban
zone, who hold them in high respect—here they regard
them as dangerous enemies, and kill them without mercy."
CHAPTER VH
HIPPOPOTAMUS AND CROCODILE.
GUIDED by Rabah the party now descended to the
edge of the swamp. Here in the shallow water lay
three boats, or rather rafts, constructed of bundles of bul-
rushes. They were turned up in front so as to form a sort
of swan-necked bow, and in outline were exactly similar to
the iron of modern skates. Upon each stood a native with
a pole for pushing the rafts along, and three or four spears.
These were of unusual shape, and the lads examined them
with curiosity. They had broad short blades, and these
were loosely attached to the shafts, so that when the animal
was struck the shaft would drop out leaving the head em-
bedded in its flesh. To the head was attached a cord which
was wound up on a spindle passing through a handle.
"Those rafts do not look as if they would carry three,"
Chebron said.
"They will do so at a push," the man replied; "but they
are better with two only."
"I will stop on shore, with your permission, Chebron,"


THE PREY MARKED DOWN.
113
Jethro said. "I see there are a number of men here with
ropes. I suppose they have something to do with the busi-
ness, and I will accompany them."
"The ropes are for hauling the beasts ashore after we have
struck them."
"Well, I will go and help pull them. I can do my share
at that, and should be of no use on one of those little rafts;
indeed, I think that my weight would bury it under the
water."
"We have been out this morning, my lord," the boatman
said, addressing Chebron, "and have found out that there is
a river-horse lying in a pool a mile up the river. I think he
is a large one and will give us good sport"
Chebron and Amuba now took their places on the two
rafts; and the men, laying down the spears and taking the
poles, pushed off from the shore. Noiselessly they made
their way among the rushes. Sometimes the channels were
so narrow that the reeds almost brushed the rafts on both
sides; then they opened out into wide pools, and here the
water deepened so much that the poles could scarce touch
the bottom. Not a word was spoken, as the men had warned
them that the slightest noise would scare the hippopotami
and cause them to sink to the bottom of the pools, where
they would be difficult to capture. After half an hour's
poling they reached a pool larger than any that they had
hitherto passed, and extending on one side almost to the
bank of the river.
The man on his raft now signed to Chebron to take up
one of the spears; but the lad shook his head and motioned
to him to undertake the attack, for he felt that, ignorant
as he was of the habits of the animal, it would be folly
for him to engage in such an adventure. The man nodded,
for he had indeed been doubting as to the course which the
affair would take, for it needed a thrust with a very power-
ful arm to drive the spear through the thick hide of the
hippopotamus. Amuba imitated Chebron's example, pre-
( 481 ) H


114
A HUGE BEAST.
ferring to be a spectator instead of an actor in this unknown
sport
For three or four minutes the boats lay motionless, then a
blowing sound was heard, and the boatman pointed to what
seemed to the boys two lumps of black mud projecting an
inch or two above the water near the margin of the rushes.
They could not have believed that these formed part of an
animal, but that slight ripples widening out on the glassy
water showed that there had been a movement at the spot
indicated. With a noiseless push Chebron's hunter sent the
boat in that direction, and then handed the end of the pole
to Chebron, signing to him to push the boat back when he
gave the signal
.
When within ten yards of the two little black patches
there was a sudden movement; they widened into an enor-
mous head, and a huge beast rose to his feet, startled at the
discovery he had just made that men were close at hand.
In an instant the hunter hurled his spear with all his force.
Tough as was the animal's hide, the sharp head cut its way
through. With a roar the beast plunged into the rushes,
the shaft of the spear falling out of its socket as it did so,
and the strong cord ran out rapidly from the reel held by
the hunter. Presently the strain ceased. "He has laid
down again in shelter," the hunter said; "we will now fol-
low him and give him a second spear."
Pushing the rushes aside the boat was forced along until
they again caught sight of the hippopotamus, who was stand-
ing up to his belly in water.
"Is he going to charge?" Chebron asked, grasping a
spear.
"No, there is little chance of that Should he do so and
upset the boat, throw yourself among the rushes and lie
there with only your face above water. I will divert his
attention and come back and get you into the boat when
he has made oft"
Another spear was thrown with good effect There was


STIRRING HIM UP.
115
a roar and a great splash. Chebron thought that the animal
was upon them; but he turned off and dashed back to the
pool where he had been first lying.
"I thought that was what he would do," the hunter said.
"They always seek shelter in the bottom of the deep pools;
and here, you see, the water is not deep enough to cover
him."
The boat again followed the hippopotamus. Amuba was
still on his raft on the pool
.
"What has become of him?" Chebron asked as they
passed beyond the rushes.
"He has sunk to the bottom of the pool," Amuba replied.
"He gave me a start, I can tell you. We heard him burst-
ing through the rushes, and then he rushed out with his
mouth open—a mouth like a cavern; and then, just as I
thought he was going to charge us, he turned off and sunk
to the bottom of the pool."
"How long will he lie there?" Chebron asked the hunter.
"A long time if he is left to himself, but we are going to
stir him up."
So saying he directed the boat towards the rushes nearest
to the bank and pushed the boat through them.
"Oh, here you are, Jethro!" Chebron said, seeing the
Rebu and the men he had accompanied standing on the
bank.
"What has happened, Chebron?—have you killed one of
them? We heard a sort of roar and a great splashing."
"We have not killed him, but there are two spear-heads
sticking into him."
The hunter handed the cords to the men and told them
to pull steadily, but not hard enough to break the cords.
Then he took from them the end of the rope they carried
and poled back into the pool.
"Those cords are not strong enough to pull the great
beast to the shore, are they?" Chebron asked.
"Oh, no, they would not move him; but by pulling on


116
A. HARD PULL.
them it causes the spear-heads to give him pain, he gets
uneasy, and rises to the surface in anger. Then, you see, 1
throw this noose over his head, and they can pull upon
that."
In two or three minutes the animal's head appeared above
the water. The instant it did so the hunter threw the noose.
The aim was correct, and with a jerk he tightened it round
the neck.
"Now, pull!" he shouted.
The peasants pulled, and gradually the hippopotamus was
drawn towards the bank, although struggling to swim in
the opposite direction.
As soon, however, as he reached the shallow water and
his feet touched the ground he threw his whole weight upon
the rope. The peasants were thrown to the ground and
the rope dragged through their fingers as the hippopotamus
again made his way to the bottom of the pool. The pea-
sants regained their feet and pulled on the rope and cords.
Again the hippopotamus rose and was dragged to the shal-
low, only to break away again. For eight or ten times this
happened.
"He is getting tired now," the hunter said. "Next time
or the time after they will get him on shore. We will land
then and attack him with spears and arrows."
The hippopotamus was indeed exhausted, and allowed
itself to be dragged ashore at the next effort without oppo-
sition. As soon as it did so he was attacked with spears by
the hunters, Jethro, and the boys. The latter found that
they were unable to drive their weapons through the thick
skin, and betook themselves to their bows and arrows. The
hunters, however, knew the points at which the skin was
thinnest, and drove their spears deep into the animal just
behind the fore leg, while the boys shot their arrows at its
mouth. Another noose had been thrown over its head as it
issued from the water, and the peasants pulling on the ropes
prevented it from charging. Three or four more thrusts


"MIND ITS TAILl"
117
were given from the hunters; then one of the spears touched
a vital part—the hippopotamus sank on its knees and rolled
over dead.
The peasants sent up a shout of joy, for the flesh of the
hippopotamus is by no means bad eating, and here was a
store of food sufficient for the whole neighbourhood.
"Shall we search for another, my lord?" the hunter asked
Chebron.
"No. I think I have had enough of this. There is no
fun in killing an animal that has not spirit to defend itself.
What do you think, Amuba?"
"I quite agree with you, Chebron. One might almost
as well slaughter a cow. What is that?" he exclaimed
suddenly, as a loud scream was heard at a short distance
away. "It is a woman's voice."
Chebron darted off in full speed in the direction of the
sound, closely followed by Amuba and Jethro. They ran
about a hundred yards along the bank when they saw the
cause of the outcry. An immense crocodile was making his
way towards the river, dragging along with it the figure of
a woman.
In spite of his reverence for the crocodile Chebron did
not hesitate a moment, but rushing forward smote the
crocodile on the nose with all his strength with the shaft
of his spear. The crocodile dropped its victim and turned
upon his assailant; but Jethro and Amuba were close behind,
and these also attacked him. The crocodile seeing this ac-
cession of enemies now set out for the river, snapping its
jaws together.
"Mind its tail!" one of the hunters exclaimed running
up.
But the warning was too late, for the next moment Amuba
received a tremendous blow which sent him to the ground.
The hunter at the same moment plunged his spear into the
animal through the soft skin at the back of its leg. Jethro
followed his example on the other side. The animal checked
■


118
"IS SHE DEAD?"
its flight, and turning round and round lashed with its tail
in all directions.
"Keep clear of itl" the hunter shouted. "It is mortally
wounded and will need no more blows."
In fact the crocodile had received its death wound . Its
movements became more languid, it ceased to lash its tail,
though it still snapped at those nearest to it, but gradually this
action also ceased, its head sank and it was dead . Jethro
as soon as he had delivered his blow ran to Amuba.
"Are you hurt?" he asked anxiously.
"No, I don't think so," Amuba gasped. "The brute has
knocked all the breath out of my body; but that's better
than if he had hit me in the leg, for I think he would have
broken it had he done so. How is the woman?—is she
dead?"
"I have not had time to see," Jethro replied . "Let me
help you to your feet, and let us see if any of your ribs are
broken. I will see about her afterwards."
Amuba on getting up declared that he did not think he
was seriously hurt, although unable for the time to stand
upright
"I expect I am only bruised, Jethro. It was certainly a
tremendous whack he gave me, and I expect I shall not be
able to take part in any sporting for the next few days.
The crocodile was worth a dozen hippopotami. There was
some courage about him."
They now walked across to Chebron, who was stooping
over the figure of the crocodile's victim.
"Why, she is but a girl!" Amuba exclaimed. "She is
no older than your sister, Chebron."
"Do you think she is dead?" Chebron asked in hushed
tones.
"I think she has only fainted," Jethro replied . "Here,"
he shouted to one of the peasants who were gathered round
the crocodile, "one of you run down to the water and
bring up a gourd full?"


AN AGED MAN.
119
"I don't think she is dead," Amuba said. "It seemed to
me that the crocodile had seized her by the leg."
"We must carry her somewhere," Jethro said, "and get
some woman to attend to her. I will see if there is a hut
near." He sprang up to the top of some rising ground and
looked round. "There is a cottage close at hand," he said
as he returned. "I daresay she belongs there."
Bidding two of the peasants run to fetch some women,
he lifted up the slight figure and carried her up the slope,
the two lads following. On turning round the foot of a
sand-hill they saw a cottage lying nestled behind it It
was neater and better kept than the majority of the huts of
the peasants. The walls of baked clay had been white-
washed and were half covered with bright flowers. A patch
of carefully cultivated ground lay around it Jethro entered
the cottage. On a settle at the further end a man was
sitting. He was apparently of great age, his hair and long
beard were snowy white.
"What is it?" he exclaimed as Jethro entered. "Has
the God of our fathers again smitten me in my old age, and
taken from me my pet lamb? I heard her cry, but my
limbs have lost their power, and I could not rise to come to
her aid."
"I trust that the child is not severely injured," Jethro
said. "We had just killed a hippopotamus when we heard
her scream, and running up found a great crocodile dragging
her to the river, but we soon made him drop her. I trust
that she is not severely hurt The beast seemed to us to
have seized her by the leg. We have sent to fetch some
women. Doubtless they will be here immediately. Ah!
here's the water."
He laid the girl down upon a couch in the corner of the
room, and taking the gourd from the peasant who brought
it sprinkled some water on her face, while Amuba, by his
direction, rubbed her hands. It was some minutes before
she opened her eyes, and just as she did so two women


120 "SHE WILL BE ALONE IN THE WORLD."
entered the hut. Leaving the girl to their care, Jethro and
the boys left the cottage.
"I trust that the little maid is not greatly hurt," Amuba
said. "By her dress it seems to me that she is an Israelite,
though I thought we had left their land behind us on the
other side of the desert . Still her dress resembles those of
the women we saw in the village as we passed, and it is
well for her it does so, for they wear more and thicker gar-
ments than the Egyptian peasant women, and the brute's
teeth may not have torn her severely."
In a few minutes one of the women came out and told them
that the maid had now recovered and that she was almost
unhurt. "The crocodile seems to have seized her by her
garments rather than her flesh, and although the teeth
have bruised her, the skin is unbroken. Her grandfather
would fain thank you for the service you have rendered
him."
They re-entered the cottage. The girl was sitting on the
ground at her grandfather's feet holding one of his hands in
tier's, while with his other he was stroking her head. As
they entered, the women, seeing that their services were no
longer required, left the cottage.
"Who are those to whom I owe the life of my grand-
child?" the old man asked.
"I am Chebron, the son of Ameres, high-priest of the
temple of Osiris at Thebes. These are my friends, Amuba
and Jethro, two of the Rebu nation who were brought to
Egypt, and now live in my father's household."
"We are his servants," Amuba said, "though he is good
enough to call us his friends."
"'Tis strange," the old man said, "that the son of a priest
of Osiris should thus come to gladden the last few hours of
one who has always withstood the Egyptian gods. And yet
had the crocodile carried off my Ruth, it might have been
better for her, seeing that ere the sun has risen and set
many times she will be alone in the world."


"BECAUSE I TESTIFIED AGAINST THEM." 121
The girl uttered a little cry, and rising on her knees threw
her arms round the old man's neck
.
"It must be so, my Ruth. I have lived a hundred and
ten years in this land of the heathen, and my course is run;
and were it not for your sake I should be glad that it is so,
for my life has been sorrow and bitterness. I call her my
grandchild, but she is in truth the daughter of my grand-
child, and all who stood between her and me have passed
away before me and left us alone together. But she trusts
in the God of Abraham, and he will raise up a protector for
her."
Chebron, who had learned something of the traditions of
the Israelites dwelling in Egypt, saw by the old man's words
that Jethro's surmises were correct and that he belonged to
that race.
"You are an Israelite," he said gently. "How is it that
you are not dwelling among your people instead of alone
among strangers?"
"I left them thirty years back when Ruth's mother was
but a tottering child . They would not suffer me to dwell
in peace among them, but drove me out because I testified
against them."
"Because you testified against them?" Chebron repeated
in surprise.
"Yes. My father was already an old man when I was
born, and he was one of the few who still clung to the faith
of our fathers. He taught me that there was but one God,
the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, and that all
other gods were but images of wood and stone. To that
faith I clung, though, after a while, I alone of all our people
held to the belief. The others had forgotten their God and
worshipped the gods of the Egyptians. When I would
speak to them they treated my words as ravings and as
casting dishonour on the gods they served
.
"My sons went with the rest, but my daughter learned
the true faith from my lips and clung to it . She taught her


122
"I WILL NEVER DENY MY GOD."
daughter after her, and ten years ago when she too lay dying
she sent Ruth by a messenger to me, praying me to bring
her up in the faith of our fathers, and saying that though
she knew I was of a great age she doubted not that when
my time came God would raise up protectors for the child.
So for ten years we have dwelt here together, tilling and
watering our ground and living on its fruit and by the sale
of baskets that we weave and exchange for fish with our
neighbours. The child worships the God of our fathers, and
has grown and thriven here for ten years; but my heart is
heavy at the thought that my hours are numbered and that
I see no way after me but that Ruth shall return to our
people, who will assuredly in time wean her from her faith."
"Never, grandfather," the girl said firmly. "They may
beat me, and persecute me, but I will never deny my God."
"They are hard people the Israelites," the old man said
shaking his head, "and they are stubborn, and must needs
prevail against one so tender. However all matters are in
the hands of God, who will again reveal himself in his due
time to his people who have forgotten him."
Amuba, looking at the girl, thought that she had more
power of resistance than the old man gave her credit for.
Her face was of the same style of beauty as that of some of
the young women he had seen in the villages of the Israelites,
but of a higher and finer type. Her face was almost oval,
with soft black hair, and delicately-marked eyebrows run-
ning almost in a straight line below her forehead. Her eyes
were large and soft, with long lashes veiling them, but there
was a firmness about the lips and chin that spoke of a de-
termined will, and gave strength to her declaration "Never."
There was silence a moment, and then Chebron said
almost timidly:
"My father, although high priest of Osiris, is not a bigot
in his religion. He is wise and learned, and views all things
temperately as my friends here can tell you. He knows of
your religion; for I have heard him say that when they first


"GOD HAS CHOSEN FOR ME."
123
came into this land the Israelites worshipped one God only.
I have a sister who is of about the same age as Ruth, and is
gentle and kind. I am sure that if I ask my father he will
take your grandchild into his household to be a friend and
companion to Mysa, and I am certain that he would never
try to shake her religion, but would let her worship as she
chooses."
The old man looked fixedly at Chebron.
"Your speech is pleasant and kind, young sir, and your
voice has an honest ring. A few years back I would have
said that I would rather the maiden were dead than a hand-
maid in the house of an Egyptian; but as death approaches
we see things differently, and it may be that she would be
better there than among those who once having known the
true God have forgotten him and taken to the worship of
idols. I have always prayed and believed that God would
raise up protectors for Ruth, and it seems to me now that
the way you have been brought hither in these latter days
of my life is the answer to my prayer. Ruth, my child, you
have heard the offer, and it is for you to decide. Will you
go with this young Egyptian lord and serve his sister as a
handmaiden, or will you return to the villages of our people 1"
Ruth had risen to her feet now, and was looking earnestly
at Chebron, then her eyes turned to the faces of Amuba and
Jethro, and then slowly went back again to Chebron.
"I believe that God has chosen for me," she said at last,
"and has sent them here not only to save my life, but to be
protectors to me; their faces are all honest and good. If the
father of this youth will receive me, I will, when you leave
me, go and be the handmaid of his daughter."
"It is well," the old man said. "Now I am ready to
depart, for my prayers have been heard . May God deal
with you and yours, Egyptian, even as you deal with my
child."
"May it be so," Chebron replied reverently.
"I can tell you," Jethro said to the old man, "that in no


124 "SHE COULD NOT BE IN KINDER HANDS."
household in Egypt could your daughter be happier than in
that of Ameres. He is the lord and master of Amuba and
myself, and yet, as you see, his son treats us not as servants,
but as friends. Ameres is one of the kindest of men; and
as to his daughter Mysa, whose special attendant I am, I
would lay down my life to shield her from harm. Your
grandchild could not be in better hands. As to her religion,
although Ameres has often questioned Amuba and myself
respecting the gods of our people, he has never once shown
the slightest desire that we should abandon them for those
of Egypt."
"And now," Chebron said, "we will leave you; for doubt-
less the excitement has wearied you, and Ruth needs rest
and quiet after her fright. We are encamped a mile away
near the lake, and will come and see you to-morrow."
Not a word was spoken for some time after they left the
house, and then Chebron said:
"It really would almost seem as if what that old man
said was true, and that his God had sent us there that a
protector might be found for his daughter. It was certainly
strange that we should happen to be within sound of her
voice when she was seized by that crocodile, and be able to
rescue her just in time. It needed you see, first, that we
should be there, then that the crocodile should seize her at
that moment, and, lastly, that we should be just in time to
save her being dragged into the river. A crocodile might
have carried her away ten thousand times without any one
being within reach to save her, and the chances were enor-
mously against any one who did save her being in a position
to offer her a suitable home at her father's death."
"It is certainly strange. You do not think that your
father will have any objection to take her," Amuba asked.
"Oh no, he may say that he does not want any more
servants in the house, but I am sure that when he sees her,
he will be pleased to have such a companion for Mysa. If
it was my mother I do not know. Most likely she would


chebron's scruples.
125
say no; but when she hears that it has all been settled, she
will not trouble one way or the other about it. I will write
my father a letter telling him all about it, and send off one
of the slaves with it at once. He can get back to-morrow,
and this will gladden the old man's heart to know that it is
all arranged. I wish to tell my father, too, of my trouble."
"What trouble?" Amuba asked in surprise. "You have
told me nothing about anything troubling you."
"Do you not understand, Amuba. I am in trouble because
I struck the crocodile; it is an impious action, and yet what
could I do?"
Amuba repressed an inclination to smile.
"You could do nothing else, Chebron, for there was no time
to mince matters. He was going too fast for you to explain
to him that he was doing wrong in carrying off a girl, and
you therefore took the only means in your power of stop-
ping him; besides the blow you dealt him did him no injury
whatever. It was Jethro and the hunter who killed him."
"But had I not delayed his flight, they could not have
done so."
"That is true enough, Chebron; but in that case he would
have reached the water with his burden and devoured her
at his leisure. Unless you think that his life is of much more
importance than hers, I cannot see that you have anything
to reproach yourself with."
"You do not understand me, Amuba," Chebron said
pettishly. "Of course I do not think that the life of an
ordinary animal is of as much importance as that of a
human being; but the crocodiles are sacred, and misfortune
falls upon those who injure them."
"Then in that case, Chebron, misfortune must fall very
heavily on the inhabitants of those districts where the
crocodile is killed wherever he is found. I have not heard
that pestilence and famine visit those parts of Egypt with
more frequency than they do the districts where the croco-
dile is venerated."


126
"YOU CAN SET YOU MIND AT EASE."
Chebron made no answer. What Amuba said was doubt-
less true; but upon the other hand he had always been
taught that the crocodile was sacred, and if so he could not
account for the impunity with which these creatures were
destroyed in other parts of Egypt It was another of the
puzzles that he so constantly met with. After a long pause
he replied:
"It may seem to be as you say; but you see, Amuba,
there are some gods specially worshipped in one district,
others in another. In the district that a god specially pro-
tects he would naturally be indignant were the animal
sacred to him be slain, while he might pay no heed to the
doings in those parts in which he is little concerned."
"In that case, Chebron, you can clearly set your mind at
rest Let us allow that it is wrong to kill a crocodile in
the district in which he is sacred and where a god is con-
cerned about his welfare, but that no evil consequences can
follow the slaying of him in districts in which he is not
sacred, and where his god, as you say, feels little interest
in him."
"I hope that is so, Amuba; and that as the crocodile is
not a sacred animal here no harm may come from my
striking one, though I would give much that I had not been
obliged to do so. I hope that my father will regard the
matter in the same light"
"I have no doubt that he will do so, Chebron, especially
as we agreed that you did no real harm to the beast"
"Is it not strange, Jethro," Amuba said when Chebron
had gone into the tent, "that wise and learned people like
the Egyptians should be so silly regarding animals?"
"It is strange, Amuba, and it was hard to keep from
laughing to hear you so gravely arguing the question with
Chebron. If all the people held the same belief I should
not be surprised; but as almost every animal worshipped in
one of the districts is hated and slain in another, and that
without any evil consequences arising, one would have


A QUIET DAY.
127
thought that they could not but see for themselves the
folly of their belief. What are we going to do to-mor-
row r
"I do not think that it is settled, we have had one day
at each of the sports. Rabah said that to-morrow we could
either go out and see new modes of fishing, or accompany
the fowlers and watch them catching birds in the clap-nets,
or go out into the desert and hunt ibex. Chebron did not
decide, but I suppose when he has finished his letter we
shall hear what he intends to do."
After Chebron had finished his letter, which was a long
one, he called Rabah and asked him to despatch it at once
by the fleetest-footed of the slaves.
"He will get there," he said, "before my father retires
to rest . If he does not reply at once, he will probably
answer in the morning, and at any rate the man ought to
be back before mid-day."
At dinner Amuba asked Chebron whether he had decided
what they should do the next day.
"We might go and look at the men with the clap-nets,"
Chebron answered . "They have several sorts in use, and
take numbers of pigeons and other birds. I think that will
be enough for to-morrow. We have had four days hard
work, and a quiet day will be pleasant, and if we find the
time goes slowly, we can take a boat across the lake and
look at the great sea beyond the sand-hills that divide the
lake from it; besides I hope we shall get my father's answer,
and I should like some further talk with that old Israelite.
It is interesting to learn about the religion that his fore-
fathers believed in, and in which it seems that he and his
grandchild are now the last who have faith.
"It will suit me very well to have a quiet day, Chebron;
for in any case I do not think I could have accompanied
you. My ribs are sore from the whack the crocodile gave
me with his tail, and I doubt whether I shall bo able to
walk to-morrow."


128
THE MESSENGER RETURNS.
Indeed, the next morning Amuba was so stiff and sore
that he was unable to rise from his couch.
Soon after breakfast the messenger returned bringing a
letter from Ameres. It was as follows:—
"It seems to me, Chebron, that Mysa has no occasion for
further attendants; but as your story of this old Israelite
and his daughter interests me, and the girl is of Mysa's
age and might be a pleasant companion for her, I have no
objection to her entering our household. I should have
liked to talk with the old man himself, and to have heard
from him more about the religion that Joseph and his
people brought to Egypt It is recorded in some of the
scrolls that these people were monotheists; but although I
have many times questioned Israelites, all have professed to
be acquainted with no religion but that of Egypt If you
have further opportunity find out as much as you, can from
this old man upon the subject
"Assure him from me that his daughter shall be kindly
treated in my household, and that no attempt whatever will
be made to turn her from the religion she professes. As to
your adventure with the crocodile, I do not think that your
conscience need trouble you. It would certainly be unfor-
tunate to meet in Upper Egypt a crocodile carrying off a
peasant, and I am not called upon to give an opinion as to
what would be the proper course to pursue under the cir-
cumstances; but as you are at present in a district where
the crocodile, instead of being respected, is held in detes-
tation, and as the people with you would probably have
overtaken and slain him even without your intervention,
I do not think that you need trouble yourself about the
knock that you gave him across his snout Had I found
myself in the position you did I should probably have taken
the same course. With respect to the girl, you had best
give them instructions that when the old man dies she shall
travel by boat to Thebes; arrived there, she will find no
difficulty in learning which is my house, and on presenting


CHEBRON VISITS THE COTTAGE.
129
herself there she will be well received . I will write at once to
Mysa, telling her that you have found a little Israelite hand-
maiden as her special attendant, and that, should the girl
arrive before my return, she is at once to assume that
position.
"It would not do for her to come here were her grand-
father to die before we leave for home. In the first place she
would be in the way, and in the second her features and
dress would proclaim her to be an Israelite. The people in
the villages she passed through might detain her, and insist
on her remaining with them; or, should she arrive here, the
fact of her departing with us might be made a subject of
complaint, and the Israelites would not improbably declare
that I had carried off a young woman of their tribe as a
slave. Therefore, in all respects it is better that she should
proceed up the river to Thebes.
"As they are poor you had best leave a sum of money
with them to pay for her passage by boat, and for her sup-
port during the voyage. I find that I shall have finished
with the steward earlier than I had expected, and shall be
starting in about three days to inspect the canals and lay out
plans for some fresh ones; therefore, if by that time you have
had enough sport to satisfy you, you had best journey back."
"My father has consented," Chebron said joyously as he
finished the letter. "I felt sure that he would; still, I was
anxious till I got the letter, for it would have been a great
disappointment to the old man could it not have been man-
aged. I will go off and tell him at once. I shall not want
you this morning, Jethro; so you can either stay here with
Amuba or do some fishing or fowling on the lake. The
boat is all in readiness, you know."
Chebron went off to the cottage. Ruth was in the garden
tending the vegetables, and he stopped to speak to her be-
fore entering.
"I have not heard yet," he said, "how it came about that
you were seized by the crocodile."
(481) I


130
"I HAVE SATISFACTORY NEWS."
"1 hardly know how it was," she said. "I am in the
habit of going down many times a day to fetch up water for
the garden, and I always keep a look-out for these creatures
before I fill my jar; but yesterday I had just gone round
the corner of the sand-hill when I was struck down with a
tremendous blow, and a moment afterwards the creature
seized me. I gave a scream; but I thought I was lost, for
there are no neighbours within sound of the voice, and my
grandfather has not been able to walk for months. Then I
prayed as well as I could for the pain, and God heard me
and sent you to deliver me."
"It is not often that they go up so far from the river, is
it?"
"Not often. But yesterday we had a portion of a kid from
a neighbour and were cooking it, and perhaps the smell
attracted the crocodile; for they say that they are quick at
smell, and they have been known to go into cottages and
carry off meat from before the fire."
"I see you walk very lame still."
"Ye& Grandfather would have me keep still for a day or
two; but I think that as soon as the bruises die out and the
pain ceases I shall be as well as ever. Besides, what would
the garden do without water? My grandfather will be glad
to see you, my lord; but he is rather more feeble than usual
this morning. The excitement of yesterday has shaken him."
She led the way into the cottage.
"Your granddaughter has told me you are not very strong
to-day," Chebron began.
"At my age," the old man said, "even a little thing up-
sets one, and the affair of yesterday was no little thing. I
wonder much that the agitation did not kill me."
"I have satisfactory news to give you," Chebron said. "I
yesterday despatched a message to my father, and have just
received the answer." And taking out the scroll he read
aloud the portion in which Ameres stated his readiness to
receive Ruth in his household, and his promise that no


"THE LORD BE PRAISED!"
131
pressure whatever should be put upon her to abandon her
religion.
"The Lord be praised!" the old man exclaimed. "The
very animals are the instruments of his will, and the croco-
dile that threatened death to the child was, in truth, the
answer sent to my prayer. I thank you, my young lord;
and as you and yours deal with my child, so may the God
of my fathers deal with you. But she may stay on with me
for the little time that remains, may she not?"
"Surely. We should not think of taking her now. My
father sends instructions as to what she is to do, and money
to pay for her journey up the Nile to Thebes. This is what
he says." And he read the portion of the scroll relating to
the journey. "And now," he said, "let me read to you
what my father says about your religion. He is ever a
searcher after truth, and would fain that I should hear from
your lips and repeat to him all that you can tell me relating
to this God whom you worship."
"That will I with gladness, my young lord. The story
is easily told, for it is simple, and not like that of your
religion with its many deities."
Chebron took a seat upon a pile of rushes and prepared
to listen to the old man's story of the God of the Israelite!
CHAPTER VHL
THE CONSPIRACY IN THE TEMPLE.
FOR two days longer the party lingered by the side of
the lake fishing and fowling, and then returned across
the desert to the head-quarters of Ameres. Two months
were spent in examining canals and water-courses, seeing
that the dykes were strengthened where it needed, and that


132
THE RETURN TO THEBES.
the gates and channels were in good repair. Levels were
taken for the construction of several fresh branches, which
would considerably extend the margin of cultivation. The
natives were called upon to furnish a supply of labour for
their formation; but the quota was not furnished without
considerable grumbling on the part of the Israelites, although
Ameres announced that payment would be given them for
their work. At last, having seen that everything was in
train, Ameres left one of his subordinates to carry out the
work, and then started with his son for Thebes.
A fortnight after his return home he was informed that
a young female, who said her name was Ruth, wished to see
him. He bade the servant conduct her to him, and at the
same time summon Chebron from his studies. The lad
arrived first, and as Ruth entered presented her to his
father.
"Welcome, child, to this house," the high-priest said. "I
suppose by your coming that the old man, your great-grand-
father, of whom my son has spoken to me, is no more?"
"He died a month since, my lord," Ruth replied; "but
it was two weeks before I could find a passage in a boat
coming hither."
"Chebron, tell Mysa to come here," Ameres said, and
the lad at once fetched Mysa, who had already heard that an
Israelite girl was coming to be her special attendant, and
had been much interested in Chebron's account of her and
her rescue from the crocodile.
"This is Ruth, Mysa," Ameres said when she entered,
"who has come to be with you. She has lost her last friend,
and I need not tell you, my child, to be kind and conside-
rate with her. You know what you would suffer were you
to be placed among strangers, and how lonely you would be
at first She will be a little strange to our ways, but you
will soon make her at home, I hope."
"I will try and make her happy," Mysa replied, looking
at her new companion.


134 CHEBRON ENTERS THE PRIESTHOOD.
once companion and attendant to Mysa, accompanying her
in her walks under the escort of Jethro, playing with her in
the garden, helping her to feed the animals, and amusing
her when she preferred to sit quiet by telling her about
her life near the lake by the great sea, about the fowling
and fishing there, and especially about the river course close
to the cottage, with its hippopotami and crocodiles. Euth
brightened up greatly in her new surroundings, which to her
were marvellous and beautiful; and she soon caught some-
thing of the cheerfulness of her young mistress, and the
laughter of the two girls was often heard rising from Mysa's
inclosure at the farther end of the quiet garden.
Shortly after the return from their visit to Lower Egypt
an important event took place, Chebron being initiated into
the lowest grade of the priesthood. His duties at first were
slight; for aspirants to the higher order, who were with
scarce an exception the sons of the superior priesthood,
were not expected to perform any of the drudgery that
belonged properly to the work of the lower class of the
order. It was necessary to ascend step by step; but, until
they arrived at the grade beyond which study and intelli-
gence alone led to promotion, their progress was rapid, and
they were expected only to take part in such services and
ceremonies of the temple as required the attendance of all
attached to it
Kis duties, therefore, interfered but little with his studies
or ordinal} mode of life, and he was almost as much at
home as before. He could now, however, enter the temple
at all hours, and had access to the inner courts and cham-
bers, the apartments where the sacred animals were kept,
and other places where none but the priests were permitted
to enter. He availed himself of this privilege chiefly of an
evening. All the great courts were open to the sky, and
Chebron loved to roam through them in the bright moon-
light, when they were deserted by the crowd of worship-
pers and all was still and silent At that time the massive


136
THE PRIEST PTYLUS.
Egyptians as were his own to the Rebu. And, indeed, the
fact that the Egyptians were so great and powerful, and
prevailed over other nations, was, he was inclined to think,
due to the superior power of their gods.
The majesty of the temples, the splendour of the proces-
sions, and the devoutness with which the people worshipped
their gods, alike impressed him; and although the strange-
ness of the images struck him as singular, he was ready to
admit that the gods might take any shape they pleased.
Thus, then, Chebron could look for no sympathy from him,
and shrank from opening his mind to him. Nevertheless
he sometimes took Amuba with him in his visits to the
temple. The doors at all times stood open, and any could
enter who chose, and had they in the inner courts met with
any of the priests, Amuba would have passed unnoticed as
being one of the attendants of the temple in company with
Chebron.
But few words were exchanged between the lads during
these rambles, for the awful grandeur of the silent temple
and its weird aspect in the moonlight, affected Amuba as
strongly as it did Chebron. At times he wondered to him-
self whether if he ever returned home and were to introduce
the worship of these terrible gods of Egypt, they would
extend their protection to the Rebu.
Near the house of Ameres stood that of Ptylus, a priest
who occupied a position in the temple of Osiris, next in
dignity to that of the high-priest
Between the two priests there was little cordiality, for they
differed alike in disposition and manner of thought Pty-
lus was narrow and bigotted in his religion, precise in every
observance of ceremonial; austere and haughty in manner,
professing to despise all learning beyond that relating to
religion, but secretly devoured with jealousy at the esteem
in which Ameres was held by the court, and his reputation
as one of the first engineers, astronomers, and statesmen of
Egypt He had been one of the fiercest in the opposition


RIVALS.
137
raised to the innovations proposed by Ameres, and had at
the time exerted himself to the utmost to excite such a feel-
ing against him as would render it necessary for him to
resign his position in the temple.
His disappointment had been intense, when—owing in no
slight degree to the influence of the king himself, who re-
garded Ameres with too much trust and affection to allow
himself to be shaken in his confidence even by what he held
to be the erroneous views of the high-priest of Osiris—his
intrigue came to nothing; but he had ever since kept an un-
ceasing watch upon the conduct of his colleague, without,
however, being able to find the slightest pretence for com-
plaint against him. For Ameres was no visionary; and
having failed in obtaining a favourable decision as to the
views he entertained, he had not striven against the tide,
knowing that by doing so he would only involve himself
and his family in ruin and disgrace, without forwarding in
the smallest degree the opinions he held.
He was thus as exact as ever in his ministration in the
temple, differing only from the other performers of the sacred
rites inasmuch as while they offered their sacrifices to Osiris
himself, he in his heart dedicated his offerings to the great
God of whom Osiris was but a feeble type or image.
A certain amount of intimacy was kept up between the
two families. Although there was no more liking between
the wives of the two priests than between their husbands,
they were of similar dispositions—both were fond of show
and gaiety, both were ambitious; and although in society
both exhibited to perfection the somewhat gentle and indo-
lent manner which was considered to mark high breeding
among the women of Egypt, the slaves of both knew to
their cost that in their own homes their bearing was very
different
.
In their entertainments and feasts there was constant
rivalry between them, although the wife of the high-priest
considered it nothing short of insolence that the wife of one


138
A PROPOSAL FOR MYSA.
inferior to her husband's rank should venture to compete
with her; while upon the other hand the little airs of calm
superiority her rival assumed when visiting her excited the
deepest indignation and bitterness in the heart of the wife of
Ptylus. She, too, was aware of the enmity that her husband
bore to Ameres, and dM her best to second him by shaking
her head and affecting an air of mystery whenever his name
was mentioned, leaving her friends to suppose that did she
choose she could tell terrible tales to his disadvantage.
Ameres on his part had never alluded at home either to
his views concerning religion or to his difference of opinion
with his colleagues. There was but little in common be-
tween him and his wife. He allowed her liberty to do as
she chose, to give frequent entertainments to her female
friends, and to spend money as she liked so long as his own
mode of life was not interfered with. He kept in his own
hands, too, the regulation of the studies of Chebron and
Mysa.
One day when he was in his study his wife entered. He
looked up with an expression of remonstrance, for it was an
understood thing that when occupied with his books he was
on no account to be disturbed except upon business of im-
portance.
"You must not mind my disturbing you for once, Ameres;
but an important thing has happened. Nicotis, the wife of
Ptylus, has been here this afternoon, and what do you think
she was the bearer of—a proposal from her husband and her-
self that their son Plexo should marry our Mysa."
Ameres uttered an exclamation of surprise and anger.
"She is a child at present, the thing is ridiculous!"
"Not so much of a child, Ameres, after all. She is nearer
fifteen than fourteen, and betrothal often takes place a year
earlier. I have been thinking for some time of talking the
matter over with you, for it is fully time that we thought
of her future."
Ameres was silent What his wife said was perfectly


THE OFFER DECLINED.
139
true, and Mysa had reached the age at which the Egyptian
maidens were generally betrothed. It came upon him, how-
ever, as an unpleasant surprise. He had regarded Mysa
as still a child, and his affections were centred in her and
Chebron; for his eldest son, who resembled his mother in
spirit, he had but little affection or sympathy.
"Very well," he said at last in a tone of irritation very
unusual to him, "if Mysa has reached the age when we
must begin to think whom she is to marry, we will think of
it, but there is no occasion whatever for haste. As to
Plexo I have marked him often when he has been here
with Chebron, and I do not like his disposition. He is
arrogant and overbearing, and, at the same time, shallow
and foolish. Such is not the kind of youth to whom I shall
give Mysa."
The answer did not quite satisfy his wife . She agreed
with him in objecting to the proposed alliance, but on
entirely different grounds. She had looked forward to
Mysa making a brilliant match, which would add to her
own consequence and standing. On ceremonial occasions,
as the wife of the high-priest, and herself a priestess of
Crisis, she was present at all the court banquets; but the
abstemious tastes and habits of Ameres prevented her from
taking the part she desired in other festivities, and she con-
sidered that were Mysa to marry some great general, or
perhaps even one of the princes of the blood, she would
then be able to take that position in society to which she
aspired, and considered, indeed, that she ought to fill as the
wife of Ameres, high-priest of Osiris, and one of the most
trusted counsellors of the king.
Such result would certainly not flow from Mysa's marriage
to the son of one of less rank in the temple than her hus-
band, and far inferior in public estimation. Being content,
however, that her husband objected to the match on other
grounds she abstained from pressing her own view of the
subject, being perfectly aware that it was one with which


140
"WHAT REASON SHALL I GIVE?"
Ameres would by no means sympathize. She therefore
only said:
"I am glad that you object to the match, Ameres, and
am quite in accord with you in your opinion of the son of
Ptylus. But what reason shall I give Nicotis for declining
the connection?"
"The true one, of course!" Ameres said in surprise.
"What other reason could there be? In respect to position
no objection could arise, nor upon that of wealth. He is
an only son, and although Ptylus may not have so large an
income as myself (for I have had much state employment),
he can certainly afford to place his son in at least as good
a position as we can expect for Mysa. Were we to decline
the proposal without giving a reason Ptylus would have
good ground for offence.
"I do not suppose, Amense, he will be pleased at fault
being found with his son, but that we cannot help. Parents
cannot expect others to see their offspring with the same
eyes that they do. I should certainly feel no offence were
I to propose for a wife for Chebron to receive as an answer
that he lacked some of the virtues the parents required in a
husband for their daughter. I might consider that Chebron
had those virtues, but if they thought otherwise why should
I be offended?"
"It is not everyone who sees matters as you do, Ameres,
and no one likes having his children slighted . Still, if it
is your wish that I should tell Nicotis that you have a
personal objection to her son, of course I will do so."
"Do not put it in that light, Amense. It is not that I
have a personal objection to him. I certainly do not like
him, but that fact has nothing to do with my decision. I
might like him very much, and yet consider that he would
not make Mysa a good husband; or, on the other hand, I
might dislike him personally, and yet feel that I could
safely entrust Mysa's happiness to him. You will say, then,
to Nicotis that from what I have seen of Plexo, and from


AN INDIGNANT WOMAN.
141
what I have learned of his character, it does not appear to
me that a union between him and Mysa would be likely to
conduce to her happiness; and that, therefore, I decline
altogether to enter into negotiations for the bringing about
of such a marriage."
Amense was well pleased, for she felt that this message,
given in her husband's name, would be a great rebuff for
her rival, and would far more than counterbalance the
many triumphs she had gained over her by the recital of
the number of banquets and entertainments in which she
had taken part
Had Amense been present when Nicotis informed Ptylus
of the refusal of their proposal for the hand of Mysa, she
might have felt that even the satisfaction of mortifying
a rival may be dearly purchased.
"You know the woman, Ptylus, and can picture to your-
self the air of insolence with which she declined our proposal.
I wished at the moment we had been peasants' wives instead
of ladies of quality. I would have given her cause to regret
her insolence for a long time. As it was, it was as much as
I could do to restrain myself, and to smile and say that
perhaps, after all, the young people were not as well suited
for each other as could be wished; and that we had only
yielded to the wishes of Plexo, having in our mind another
alliance which would in every respect be more advantageous.
Of course she replied that she was glad to hear it, but she
could not but know that I was lying, for the lotus flower
I was holding in my hand trembled with the rage that
devoured me."
"And it was, you say, against Plexo personally that the
objection was made," Ptylus said gloomily.
"So she seemed to say. Of course she would not tell me
that she had set her mind on her daughter marrying one of
the royal princes, though it is like enough that such is her
thought, for the woman is pushing and ambitious enough
for anything. She only said, in a formal sort of way,


142
"LET THEM BOTH BEWARE!'
that while the alliance between the two families would
naturally be most agreeable to them, her husband was
of opinion that the dispositions of the young people were
wholly dissimilar, and that he feared such a union would
not be for the happiness of either; and that having perhaps
peculiar ideas as to the necessity for husband and wife
being of one mind in all matters, he thought it better that
the idea should be abandoned. I had a mind to tell her
that Ameres did not seem to have acted upon those ideas in
his own case, for everyone knows that he and Amense have
not a thought in common—that she goes her way and he
goes his."
"Let them both beware!" Ptylus said . "They shall learn
that we are not to be insulted with impunity. This Ameres,
whom the people regard as so holy, is at heart a despiser
of the gods. Had he not been a favourite of Thotmes he
would ere now have been disgraced and degraded, and I
should be high-priest in his place; for his son, Neco, is too
young for such a dignity. But he is ascending in the scale,
and every year that his father lives and holds office he will
come more and more to be looked upon as his natural
successor. A few more years and my chance will be
extinguished."
"Then," Nicotis said decidedly, "Ameres must not hold
office for maDy more years. We have talked the matter
over and over again, and you have always promised me
that some day I should be the wife of the high-priest, and
that Plexo should stand first in the succession of the office.
It is high time that you carried your promises into effect."
"It is time, Nicotis. This man has too long insulted the
gods by ministering at their services, when in his heart he
was false to them. It shall be so no longer; this last in-
sult to us decides me! Had he agreed to our proposal I
would have laid aside my own claims, and with my influence
could have secured that Plexo, as his son-in-law, should
succeed, rather than that shallow-brained fool, Neco. He


"ASK ME NO QUESTIONS."
143
has refused the offer, and he must bear the consequences. I
have been too patient . I will be so no longer, but will act
.
I have a strong party among the upper priesthood who
have long been of my opinion that Ameres is a disgrace to
our caste and a danger to our religion. They will join me
heart and soul, for they feel with me that his position as
high-priest is an outrage to the gods. Ask me no questions,
Nicotis, but be assured that my promises shall be kept . I
will be high-priest; Plexo shall marry this child he fancies,
for his doing so will not only strengthen my position but
render his own succession secure, by silencing those who
might at my death seek to bring back the succession to
Neco."
"That is well, Ptylus. I have long wondered that you
were content to be lorded over by Ameres. If I can aid
you in any way be sure that I will do so. By the way,
Amense invited us to a banquet she is about to give next
week. Shall we accept the invitation?"
"Certainly. We must not show that we are in any way
offended at what has passed. As far as Ameres himself is
concerned it matters not, for the man has so good an
opinion of himself that nothing could persuade him that
he has enemies; but it would not do in view of what I have
resolved upon that any other should entertain the slightest
suspicion that there exists any ill-feeling between us."
Great preparations were made by Amense for the banquet
on the following week, for she had resolved that this should
completely eclipse the entertainments of Nicotis. Ameres
had, as usual, left everything in her hands, and she spared
no expense. For a day or two previous large supplies of
food arrived from the country farm, and from the markets
in the city; and early on the morning of the entertainment
a host of professional cooks arrived to prepare the dinner.
The head cooks superintended their labours. The meat
consisted of beef and goose, ibex, gazelle, and oryx; for
although large flocks of sheep were kept for their wool the


144
PREPARATIONS FOR A BANQUET.
flesh was not eaten by the Egyptians. There were, besides,
great numbers of ducks, quails, and other small fowl. The
chief cooks superintended the cutting up of the meat, and
the selection of the different joints for boiling or roasting.
One servant worked with his feet a bellows, raising the fire
to the required heat; another skimmed the boiling caul-
drons with a spoon; and a third pounded salt, pepper, and
other ingredients in a large mortar. Bakers and confec-
tioners made light bread and pastry; the former being
made in the form of rolls, sprinkled at the top with carra-
way and other seeds. The confectionery was made of fruit
and other ingredients mixed with dough, and this was
formed by a skillful workman into various artistic shapes,
such as recumbent oxen, vases, temples, and other forms.
Besides the meats there was an abundance of all the most
delicate kinds of fish.
When the hour of noon approached Ameres and Amense
took their seats on two chairs at the upper end of the
chief apartment, and as the guests arrived each came up to
them to receive their welcome. When all had arrived the
women took their places on chairs at the one side of the
hall, the men on the other. Then servants brought in
tables, piled up with dishes containing the viands, and in
some cases filled with fruits and decorated with flowers,
and ranged them down the centre of the room.
Cups of wine were then handed round to the guests, lotus
flowers presented to them to hold in their hands, and gar-
lands of flowers placed round their necks. Stands, each
containing a number of jars of wine, stoppered with heads
of wheat and decked with garlands, were ranged about the
room. Many small tables were now brought in, and round
these the guests took their seats upon low stools and chairs
—the women occupying those on one side of the room, the
men those on the other.
The servants now placed the dishes on the small tables,
male attendants waiting on the men, while the women were








AN EGYPTIAN FEAST.
145
served by females. Egyptians were unacquainted with the
use of knives and forks, the joints being cut up by the
attendants into small pieces, and the guests helping them-
selves from the dishes with the aid of pieces of bread held
between the fingers. Vegetables formed a large part of the
meal, the meats being mixed with them to serve as flavour-
ing; for in so hot a climate a vegetable diet is far more
healthy than one composed principally of meat. While the
meal was proceeding a party of female musicians, seated
on the ground in one corner of the room, played and
sang.
The banquet lasted for a long time, the number of dishes
served being very large. When it was half over the figure of
a mummy, of about three feet in length, was brought round
and presented to each guest in succession, as a reminder of
the uncertainty of existence. But as all present were accus-
tomed to this ceremony it had but little effect, and the
sound of conversation and laughter, although checked for a
moment, broke out again as soon as the figure was removed
.
Wine of many kinds was served during the dinner, the
women as well as the men partaking of it.
When all was concluded servants brought round golden
basins with perfumed water and napkins, and the guests
removed from their fingers the gravy that even with the dain-
tiest care in feeding could not be altogether escaped. Then
the email tables and stools were removed, and the guests
took their places on the chairs along the sides of the room.
Then parties of male and female dancers by turn came in
and performed. Female acrobats and tumblers then entered,
and went through a variety of performances, and jugglers
showed feats of dexterity with balls, and other tricks; while
the musicians of various nationalities played in turns upon
the instruments in use in their own countries. All this
time the attendants moved about among the guests, serving
them with wine and keeping them supplied with fresh
flowers. A bard recited an ode in honour of the glories of
(481) K


146 AN UNSATISFACTORY HUSBAND.
King Thotmes, and it was not until late in the evening that
the entertainment came to an end.
"It has gone off splendidly," Amense said to Ameres
when all was over, and the last guest had been helped away
by his servants; for there were many who were unable to
walk steadily unaided. "Nothing could have been better
—it will be the talk of the whole town; and I could see
Nicotis was devoured by envy and vexation. I do think
great credit is due to me, Ameres, for you have really done
nothing towards the preparations."
"I am perfectly willing that you should have all the
credit, Amense," Ameres said wearily, "and I am glad that
you are satisfied. To me the whole thing is tedious and
tiresome to a degree. All this superabundance of food, this
too lavish use of wine, and the postures and antics of the
actors and dancers, is simply disgusting. However, if every-
one else was pleased, of course I am content"
"You are the most unsatisfactory husband a woman ever
had," Amense said angrily. "I do believe you would be
perfectly happy shut up in your study with your rolls of
manuscript all your life, without seeing another human
being save a black slave to bring you in bread and fruit and
water twice a day."
"I think I should, my dear," Ameres replied calmly. "At
any rate I should prefer it vastly to such a waste of time,
and that in a form to me so disagreeable, as that I have had
to endure to-day."


THE DOOR IN THE WALL.
H7
CHAPTER IX.
A STARTLING EVENT.
IT was some days later that Chebron and Amuba again
paid a visit to the temple by moonlight It was well-
nigh a month since they had been there; for, save when
the moon was up, the darkness and gloom of the courts,
lighted only by the lamps of the altars, was so great that
the place offered no attractions. Amuba, free from the
superstitions which influenced his companion, would have
gone with him had he proposed it, although he too felt the
influence of the darkness, and the dim weird figures of the
gods, seen but faintly by the lights that burned at their
feet But to Chebron, more imaginative and easily affected,
there was something absolutely terrible in the gloomy dark-
ness, and nothing would have induced him to wander in the
silent courts save when the moon threw her light upon
them.
On entering one of the inner courts they found a massive
door in the wall standing ajar.
"Where does this lead to?" Amuba asked.
"I do not know. I have never seen it open before. I
think it must have been left unclosed by accident We will
see where it leads to."
Opening it they saw in front of them a flight of stairs in
the thickness of the wall
.
"It leads up to the roof," Chebron said in surprise. "I
knew not there were any stairs to the roof, for when repairs
are needed the workmen mount by ladders."
"Let us go up, Chebron; it will be curious to look down
upon the courts."
"Yes, but we must be careful, Amuba; for, did any below
catch sight of us, they might spread an alarm."


148
"WHAT A CURIOUS PLACE!"
"We need only stay there a minute or two," Amuba
urged. "There are so few about that we are not likely to
be seen, for if we walk noiselessly none are likely to cast
their eyes so far upwards."
So saying Amuba led the way up the stairs, and Chebron
somewhat reluctantly followed him. They felt their way as
they went, and after mounting for a considerable distance
found that the stairs ended in a narrow passage, at the
end of which was an opening scarce three feet high and
just wide enough for a man to pass through. This evi-
dently opened into the outer air, as sufficient light passed
through to enable them to see where they were standing.
Amuba crept out through the opening at the end. Beyond
was a ledge a foot wide; beyond that rose a dome some six
feet high and eight or ten feet along the ledge.
"Come on, Chebron; there is plenty of room for both of
us," he said, looking backwards. Chebron at once joined
him.
"Where can we be?" Amuba asked. "There is the sky
overhead. We are twenty feet from the top of the wall,
and where this ledge ends, just before it gets to the sides
of this stone, it seems to go straight down."
Chebron looked round him.
"This must be the head of one of the statues," he said
after a pause. "What a curious place! I wonder what it
can have been made for. See, there is a hole here!"
Just in front of them was an opening of some six inches
in diameter in the stone.
Amuba pushed his hand down.
"It seems to go a long way down," he said; "but it is
narrowing," and removing his arm he looked down the
hole.
"There is an opening at the other end," he said; "a small
narrow slit It must have been made to enable anyone
standing here to see down, though I don't think they could see
much through so small a hole. I should think, Chebron. if


A MIDNIGHT GATHERING.
149
this is really the top of the head of one of the great figures,
that slit must be where his lips are. Don't you think so?"
Chebron agreed that this was probable.
"In that case," Amuba went on, "I should say that this
hole must be made to allow the priests to give answers
through the mouth of the image to supplications made to it.
I have heard that the images sometimes gave answers to the
worshippers. Perhaps this is the secret of it."
Chebron was silent. The idea was a painful one to him;
for if this were so, it was evident that trickery was practised.
"I think we had better go," he said at last . "We have
done wrong in coming up here."
"Let me peep over the side first," Amuba said . "It seems
to me that I can hear voices below."
But the projection of the head prevented his seeing any-
thing beyond. Returning he put his foot in the hole and
raised himself sufficiently to get on the top of the stone,
which was here so much flattened that there was no risk of
falling off. Leaning forward he looked over the edge. As
Amuba had guessed would be the case, he found himself
on the head of the principal idol in the temple. Gathered
round the altar at its foot were seven or eight men, all of
whom he knew by the whiteness of their garments to be
priests. Listening intently he could distinctly hear their
words. After waiting a minute he crawled back.
"Come up here, Chebron; there is something important
going on."
Chebron joined him, and the two, lying close together,
looked down at the court
.
"I tell you we must do away with him," one of the group
below said in tones louder than had been hitherto used.
"You know as well as I do that his heart is not in the
worship of the gods. He has already shown himself desir-
ous of all sorts of innovations, and unless we take matters
in our hands there is no saying to what lengths he may
go. He might shatter the very worship of the gods. It is


150
A CONSPIRACY TO MURDER.
no use to try to overthrow him openly; for he has the sup-
port of the king, and the efforts that have been made have
not in any way shaken his position. Therefore he must dia
It will be easy to put him out of the way. There are plenty
of small chambers and recesses which he might be induced
to enter on some pretext or other, and then be slain without
difficulty, and his body taken away by night and thrown
into some of the disused catacombs.
"It would be a nine days' wonder when he was missed,
but no one could ever learn the truth of his disappearance.
I am ready to kill him with my own hands, and should
regard the deed as one most pleasing to the gods. There-
fore if you are ready to undertake the other arrangements,
and two of you will join me in seeing that the deed is carried
out without noise or outcry, I will take the matter in hand.
I hate him, with his airs of holiness and his pretended love
for the people. Besides, the good of our religion requires
that he shall die."
There was a chorus of approbation from the others.
"Leave me to determine the time and place," the speaker
went on, "and the excuse on which we will lead him to
his doom. Those who will not be actually engaged with
me in the business must be in the precincts of the place,
and see that no one comes that way, and make some ex-
cuse or other should a cry by chance be heard, and must
afterwards set on foot all sorts of rumours to account for
his actions. We can settle nothing to-night; but there is
no occasion for haste, and on the third night hence we will
again gather here."
Chebron touched Amuba, and the two crept back to
where they had been standing on the ledge.
"The villains are planning a murder in the very templet"
Chebron said. "I will give them a fright;" and applying
his mouth to the orifice he cried:
"Beware, sacriligious wretches! Your plots shall fail and
ruin fall upon you!"


"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, CHEBRON!" 151
"Come on, Chebron!" Amuba exclaimed, pulling his gar-
ment "Some of the fellows may know the secret of this
statue, and in that case they will kill us without mercy if
they find us here."
Passing through the opening they groped their way to
the top of the stairs, hurried down these as fast as they
could in the darkness, and issued out from the door.
"I hear footsteps!" Amuba exclaimed as they did so.
"Run for your life, Chebron!"
Just as they left the court they heard the noise of angry
voices, and hurried footsteps close by. At full speed they
ran through several courts and apartments.
"We had better hide, Amuba."
"It will be no use trying to do that They will guard the
entrance-gates, give the alarm, and set all the priests on duty
in the temple in search. No, come along quickly. They can-
not be sure that it is we who spoke to them, and will probably
wait until one has ascended the stair to see that no one is
lurking there. I think we are safe for the moment; but
there are no good hiding-places. I think you had better
walk straight to the entrance, Chebron. Your presence here
is natural enough, and those they post at the gates would
let you pass out without suspicion. I will try and find
myself a hiding-place."
"I certainly will not do that, Amuba. I am not going
to run away and leave you in the scrape, especially as it
was I who got us into it by my rashness."
"Is there any place where workmen are engaged on the
walls?" Amuba asked suddenly.
"Yes, in the third court on the right after entering,"
Chebron replied. "They are repainting the figures on the
upper part of the wall . I was watching them at work
yesterday."
"Then in that case there must be some ladders. With
them we might get away safely. Let us make for the court
at once, but tread noiselessly, and if you hear a footstep


152
ON THE WALLS.
approaching hide in the shadow behind the statue. Listen!
they are giving the alarm. They know that their number
would be altogether insufficient to search this great temple
thoroughly."
Shouts were indeed heard, and the lads pressed on towards
the court Chebron had spoken of. The temple now was
echoing with sounds, for the priests on duty, who had been
asleep as usual when not engaged in attending to the lights,
had now been roused by one of their number, who ran in
and told them some 'sacrilegious persons had made their
way into the temple.
"Here is the place," Chebron said, stopping at the foot
of the wall.
Here two or three long light ladders were standing.
Some of these reached part of the distance only up the
walls, but the top of one could be seen against the sky-
line.
"Mount, Chebron! There is no time to lose. They may
be here at any moment"
Chebron mounted, followed closely by his companion.
Just as he gained the top of the wall several men carrying
torches ran into the court and began to search along the
side lying in shadow. Just as Amuba joined Chebron one
of the searchers caught sight of them, and with a shout ran
towards the ladder.
"Pull, Chebron!" Amuba exclaimed as he tried to haul
up the ladder.
Chebron at once assisted him, and the foot of the ladder
was already many feet above the ground before the men
reached it The height of the wall was some fifty feet, and
light as was the construction of the ladder it was as much
as the lads could do to pull it up to the top. The wall was
fully twelve feet in thickness, and as soon as the ladder was
up Amuba said:
"Keep away from the edge, Chebron, or it is possible
that in this bright moonlight we may be recognized. We


THE ESCAPE
153
must be going on at once. They will tie the short ladders
together and be after us directly."
"Which way shall we got"
"Towards the outer wall, as far as possible from the gate.
Bring the ladder along."
Taking it upon their shoulders they hurried along. Critical
as the position was, Amuba could not help remarking on
the singularity of the scene. The massive walls were all
topped with white cement and stretched like broad ribbons,
crossing and recrossing each other in regular parallelograms
on a black ground.
Five minutes' running took them to the outer wall, and
the ladder was again lowered and they descended, and then
stood at its foot for a moment to listen. Everything was
still and silent
"It is lucky they did not think of sending men to watch
outside the walls when they first caught sight of us, or we
should have been captured. I expect they thought of
nothing but getting down the other ladders and fastening
them together. Let us make straight out and get well
away from the temple, and then we will return to your
house at our leisure. We had better get out of sight if we
can before our pursuers find the top of the ladder, then as
they will have no idea in which direction we have gone
they will give up the chase."
After an hour's walking they reached home. On the way
they had discussed whether or not Chebron should tell
Ameres what had taken place, and had agreed that it would
be best to be silent
"Your father would not like to know that you have
discovered the secret of the image, Chebron. If it was not
for that I should say you had best have told him. But I
do not see that it would do any good now. We do not
know who the men were who were plotting or whom they
were plotting against But one thing is pretty certain, the}
will not try to carry out their plans now, for they cannot


154
TERRIBLE NEWS.
tell how much of their conversation was overheard, and
their fear of discovery will put an end for the present to
this scheme of theirs."
Chebron agreed with Amuba's views, and it was decided
to say nothing about the affair unless circumstances occurred
which might alter their intentions. They entered the house
quietly and reached their apartment without disturbing any
of the inmates.
On the following morning one of the priests of the temple
arrived at an early hour and demanded to see Ameres.
"I have evil tidings to give you, my lord," he said.
"Your son Neco has this morning been killed."
"Neco killed?" Ameres repeated.
"It is, alas, but too true, my lord! He left the house
where he lives with two other priests but a short distance
from the gate of the temple at his usual It was his turn to
offer the sacrifices at dawn, and it must have been still dark
when he left the house. As he did not arrive at the proper
time a messenger was sent to fetch him, and he found him
lying dead but a few paces from his own door, stabbed to
the heart"
Ameres waved his hand to signify that he would be alone,
and sat down half stunned by the sudden shock
.
Between himself and his eldest son there was no great
affection. Neco was of a cold and formal disposition, and
although Ameres would in his own house have gladly re-
laxed in his case, as he had done in that of Chebron, the
rigid respect and deference demanded by Egyptian custom
on the part of sons towards their father, Neco had never
responded to his advances and had been punctilious in all
the observances practised at the time. Except when abso-
lutely commanded to do so, he had never taken a seat in
his father's presence, had never addressed him unless
spoken to, had made his appearance only at stated times
to pay his respects to him, and when dismissed had gladly
hurried away to the priest who acted as his tutor.


amense's grief.
155
As he grew up the gap had widened instead of closing.
Ameres saw with regret that his mind was narrow and his
understanding shallow, that in matters of religion he was
bigoted; while at the same time he perceived that his ex-
treme zeal in the services of the temple, his absorption in
ceremonial observances of all kinds, were due in no slight
degree to ambition, and that he was endeavouring to obtain
reputation for distinguished piety with a view to succeeding
some day to the office of high-priest. He guessed that the
eagerness with which Neco embraced the first opportunity
of withdrawing himself from his home and joining two
other young priests in their establishment was due to a
desire to disassociate himself from his father, and thus to
make an unspoken protest against the latitude of opinion
that had raised up a party hostile to Ameres.
Although living so close it was very seldom that he had,
after once leaving the house, again entered it; generally
choosing a time when his father was absent and so paying
his visits only to his mother. Still the news of his sudden
death was a great shock, and Ameres sat without moving
for some minutes until a sudden outburst of cries in the
house betokened that the messenger had told his tidings
to the servants, and that these had carried them to their
mistress. Ameres at once went to his wife's apartment and
endeavoured to console her, but wholly without success.
Amense was frantic with grief. Although herself much
addicted to the pleasures of the world she had the highest
respect for religion, and the ardour of Neco in the dis-
charge of his religious duties had been a source of pride
and gratification to her. Not only was it pleasant to hear
her son spoken of as one of the most rising of the young
priesthood, but she saw that he would make his way
rapidly and would ere long become the recognized suc-
cessor to his father's office. Chebron and Mysa bore the
news of their brother's death with much more resignation.
For the last three years they had scarcely seen him, and


156
NO CLUE TO THE CRIME.
even when living at home there had been nothing in com-
mon between him and them. They were indeed more awed
by the suddenness of his death than grieved at his loss.
When he left them Ameres went at once to the house of
Neco to make further inquiries into the matter. There
he could learn nothing that could afford any clue. Neco
had been late at the temple and had not returned until
long after the rest of the household were in bed, and none
had seen him before he left in the morning. No sound of
a struggle or cry for help had been heard. His death had
apparently been instantaneous. He had been stabbed in
the back by someone who had probably been lurking close
to the door awaiting his coming out
The general opinion there and in the temple was that he
must have fallen a victim to a feeling of revenge on the part
of some attendant in the building who on his report had
undergone disgrace and punishment for some fault of care-
lessness or inattention in the services or in the care of the
sacred animals. As a score of attendants had at one time
or other been so reported by Neco, for he was constantly on
the look-out for small irregularities, it was impossible to fix
the crime on one more than another.
The magistrates, who arrived soon after Ameres to inves-
tigate the matter, called the whole of those who could be
suspected of harbouring ill-will against Neco to be brought
before them, and questioned as to their doings during the
night All stoutly asserted that they had been in bed at
the time of the murder, and nothing occurred to throw a
suspicion upon one more than another. As soon as the
investigation was concluded Ameres ordered the corpse to
be brought to his own house.
Covered by white cloths it was placed on a sort of sledge.
This was drawn by six of the attendants of the temple;
Ameres and Chebron followed behind, and after them came
a procession of priests. When it arrived at the house,
Amense and Mysa, with their hair unbound and falling








THE TIME OF MOURNING.
157
around them, received the body,—uttering loud cries of
lamentations, in which they were joined by all the women
of the house. It was carried into an inner apartment,
and there until evening a loud wailing was kept up, many
female relatives and friends coming in and joining in the
outcry. Late in the evening the body was taken out, placed
upon another sledge, and, followed by the male relatives
and friends and by all the attendants and slaves of the
house, was carried to the establishment of Chigron the
embalmer. During the forty days occupied by the process
the strictest mourning was observed in the house. No meat
or wheaten bread was eaten, nor wine served at the table—
even the luxury of the bath was abandoned. All the males
shaved their eyebrows, and sounds of loud lamentation on
the part of the women echoed through the house.
At the end of that time the mummy was brought
back in great state, and placed in the room which was
in all large Egyptian houses set apart for the reception
of the dead. The mummy-case was placed upright against
the wall . Here sacrifices similar to those offered at the
temple were made. Ameres himself and a number of the
priests of the rank of those decorated with leopard skins
took part in the services. Incense and libation were offered.
Amense and Mysa were present at the ceremony, and wailed
with their hair in disorder over their shoulders and dust
sprinkled on their heads. Oil was poured over the head of
the mummy, and after the ceremony was over Amense and
Mysa embraced the mummied body, bathing its feet with
their tears and uttering expressions of grief and praises of
the deceased.
In the evening a feast was held in honour of the dead.
On this occasion the signs of grief were laid aside, and the
joyful aspect of the departure of the dead to a happy exist-
ence prevailed. A large number of friends and relations
were present The guests were annointed and decked with
flowers, as was usual at these parties, and after the meal the


158
THE FUNERAL CEREMONIES.
mummy was drawn through the room in token that his
spirit was still present among them. Amense would fain
have kept the mummy for some time in the house as was
often the practice, but Ameres preferred that the funeral
should take place at once.
Three days later the procession assembled and started
from the house. First came servants bearing tables laden
with fruit, cakes, flowers, vases of ointment, wine, some
young geese in a crate for sacrifice, chairs, wooden tables,
napkins, and other things. Then came others carrying
small closets containing the images of the gods; they
also carried daggers, bows, sandals, and fans, and each
bore a napkin upon his shoulder. Then came a table with
offerings and a chariot drawn by a pair of horses, the
charioteer driving them as he walked behind the chariot
Then came the bearers of a sacred boat and the mysterious
eye of Horus, the god of stability. Others carried small
images of blue pottery representing the deceased under the
form of Osiris, and the bird emblematic of the soul. Then
eight women of the class of paid mourners came along beat-
ing their breasts, throwing dust upon their heads, and
uttering loud lamentations. Ameres, clad in a leopard
skin, and having in his hands the censer and vase of liba-
tion, accompanied by his attendants bearing the various im-
plements used in the services, and followed by a number of
priests also clad in leopard skins, now came along. Imme-
diately behind them followed the consecrated boat placed
upon a sledge, and containing the mummy-case in a large
exterior case covered with paintings. It was drawn by four
oxen and seven men. In the boat Amense and Mysa were
seated . The sledge was decked with flowers, and was
followed by Chebron and other relatives and friends of the
deceased, beating their breasts and lamenting loudly.
When they arrived at the sacred lake, which was a large
piece of artificial water, the coffin was taken from the small
boat in which it had been conveyed and placed in the baris


THE SACRED LAKE.
159
or consecrated boat of the dead. This was a gorgeously-
painted boat with a lofty cabin. Amense, Mysa, and Cheb-
ron took their places here. It was towed by a large boat
with sails and oars. The members of the procession then
took their places in other richly-decorated sailing boats, and
all crossed the lake together. The procession was then re-
formed and went in the same order to the tomb. Here
the mummy-case was placed on the slab prepared for it,
and a sacrifice and libation with incense offered. The door
of the tomb was then closed, but not fastened, as sacrificial
services would be held there periodically for many years.
The procession then returned on foot to the house.
During all this time no certain clue had been obtained
as to the authors of the murder. Upon going up to the
temple on the day of Neco's death Chebron found all sorts
of rumours current The affair of the previous night
had been greatly magnified, and it was generally believed
that a strong party of men had entered the temple with the
intention of carrying off the sacred vessels, but that they
had been disturbed just as they were going to break into the
subterranean apartments where these were kept, and had
then fled to the ladders and escaped over the wall before a
sufficient force could be collected to detain them. It was
generally supposed that this affair was in some way con-
nected with the death of Neco. Upon Chebron's return
with this news he and Amuba agreed that it was necessary
to inform Ameres at once of their doings on the previous
night After the evening meal was over Ameres called
Chebron into his study.
"Have you heard aught in the temple, Chebron, as to this
strange affair that took place there last night? I cannot see
how it can have any connection with your brother's death;
still, it is strange. Have you heard who first discovered
these thieves last night? Some say that it was Ptylus,
though what he should be doing there at that hour I know
not Four or five others are named by priests as having


l<50
AMERES HEARS CHEBRON'S STORY.
aroused them; but curiously not one of these is in the temple
to-day. I have received a letter from Ptylus saying that he
has been suddenly called to visit some relations living on
the sea-shore near the mouths of the Nile. The others sent
similar excuses. I have sent to their houses, but all appear
to have left at an early hour this morning. This is most
strange, for none notified to me yesterday that they had
occasion to be absent What can be their motive in thus
running away when naturally they would obtain praise and
honour for having saved the vessels of the temple? Have
you heard anything that would seem to throw any light
upon the subject?"
"I have heard nothing, father; but I can tell you much.
I should have spoken to you the first thing this morning had
it not been for the news about Neco." Chebron then related
to Ameres how he and Amuba had the night before visited
the temple, ascended the stair behind the image of the god,
and overheard a plot to murder some unknown person.
"This is an extraordinary tale, Chebron," Ameres said
when he had brought his story to a conclusion. "You
certainly would have been slain had you been overtaken.
How the door that led to the staircase came to be open I
cannot imagine. The place is only used on very rare occa-
sions, when it is deemed absolutely necessary that we should
influence in one direction or another the course of events.
I can only suppose that when last used, which is now some
months since, the door must have been carelessly fastened,
and that it only now opened of itself. Still, that is a minor
matter, and it is fortunate that it is you who made the
discovery. As to this conspiracy you say you overheard,
it is much more serious. To my mind the sudden absence
of Ptylus and the others would seem to show that they were
conscious of guilt
"Their presence in the temple so late was in itself singu-
lar; and, as you say, they cannot know how much of their
conversation was overheard. Against whom their plot was


THE HIGH-PRIEST'S VIEW.
161
directed I can form no idea; though, doubtless, it was a
personage of high importance."
"You do not think, father," Chebron said hesitatingly,
"that the plot could have been to murder Neco. This is
what Amuba and I thought when we talked it over this
afternoon."
"I do not think so," Ameres said after a pause. "It is
hardly likely that four or five persons would plot together
to carry out the murder of one in his position; it must be
someone of far greater importance. Neco may not have
been liked, but he was certainly held in esteem by all the
priests in the temple."
"You see, father," Chebron said, "that Ptylus is an ambi-
tious man, and may have hoped at some time or other to
become high-priest Neco would have stood in his way, for,
as the office is hereditary, if the eldest son is fitted to under-
take it, Neco would almost certainly be selected."
"That is true, Chebron, but I have no reason to credit
Ptylus with such wickedness; besides, he would hardly take
other people into his confidence did he entertain such a
scheme. Moreover, knowing that they were overheard last
night, although they cannot tell how much may have been
gathered by the listener, they would assuredly not have
carried the plan into execution; besides which, as you say,
no plan was arrived at, and after the whole temple was dis-
turbed they would hardly have met afterwards and arranged
this fresh scheme of murder. No. If Neco was killed by
them, it must have been that they suspected that he was one
of those who overheard them. His figure is not unlike yours.
They may probably have obtained a glimpse of you on the
walls, and have noticed your priest's attire. He was in the
temple late, and probably left just before you were discovered.
Believing, then, that they were overheard, and thinking
that one of the listeners was Neco, they decided for their
own safety to remove him. Of course it is mere assumption
that Ptylus was one of those you overheard last night His
<«i) l


162
GRAVE SUSPICIONS
absence to-day is the only thing we have against him, and
that alone is wholly insufficient to enable us to move in the
matter. The whole affair is a terrible mystery; be assured
I will do my best to unravel it. At present, in any case,
we can do nothing. Ptylus and the four priests who are
absent will doubtless return when they find that no accusa-
tion is laid against them. They will suppose that the other
person who overheard them, whoever he was, is either afraid
to come forward, or perhaps heard only a few words and is
ignorant of the identity of the speakers. Indeed, he would
be a bold man who would venture to prefer so terrible an
accusation against five of the priests of the temple. I do
not blame you in the matter, for you could not have fore-
seen the events that have happened. It was the will of the
gods that you should have learned what you have learned;
perhaps they intend some day that you shall be their instru-
ment for bringing the guilty to justice. As to the conspiracy,
no doubt, as you say, the plot, against whomsoever it was
directed, will be abandoned, for they will never be sure as
to how much is known of what passed between them, and
whether those who overheard them may not be waiting for
the commission of the crown tar denounce them. In the
meantime you will on no account renew your visit to the
temple or enter it at any time, except when called upon to
do so by your duties."
The very day after Neco's funeral Mysa and her mother
were thrown into a flutter of excitement by a message which
arrived from Bubastes. Some months before the sacred cat of
the great temple there—a cat held in as high honour in Lower
Egypt as the bull Apis in the Thebaid—had fallen sick, and,
in spite of the care and attendance lavished upon it, had
died . The task of finding its successor was an important
and arduous one, and, like the bull of Apis, it was neces-
sary not only that the cat should be distinguished for its
size and beauty, but that it should bear certain markings.
Without these particular markings no cat could be elevated


THE SACRED CAT.
163
to the sacred post, even if it remained vacant for years;
therefore, as soon as the cat was dead a party of priests set
out from Bubastes to visit all the cities of Egypt in search
of its successor.
The whole country was agitated with the question of the
sacred cat, and at each town they visited lists were brought
to the priests of all the cats which, from size, shape, and
colour, could be considered as candidates for the office. As
soon as one of the parties of the priests had reached Thebes
Amense had sent to them a description of Mysa's great cat
Paucis. Hitherto, Amense had evinced no interest what-
ever in her daughter's pets, seldom going out into the garden,
except to sit under the shade of the trees near the fountain
for a short time in the afternoon when the sun had lost its
power.
In Paucis, indeed, she had taken some slight interest;
because, in the first place, it was only becoming that the
mistress of the house should busy herself as to the welfare
of animals deemed so sacred; and in the second, because all
who saw Paucis agreed that it was remarkable alike in size
and beauty, and the presence of such a creature in the house
was in itself a source of pride and dignity. Thus then she
lost no time in sending a message to the priests inviting
them to call and visit her and inspect the cat Although, as
a rule, the competitors for the post of sacred cat of
Bubastes were brought in baskets by their owners for in-
spection, the priests were willing enough to pay a visit
in person to the wife of so important a man as the high-
priest of Osiris.
Amense received them with much honour, presented Mysa
to them as the owner of the cat, and herself accompanied
the priests in their visit to the home of Mysa's pets. Their
report was most favourable. They had, since they left
Bubastes, seen no cat approaching Paucis in size and beauty,
and although her markings were not precisely correct they
yet approximated very closely to the standard. They could


164
THE SUCCESSFUL COMPETITOR.
say no more than this, because the decision could not be
made until the return of all the parties of searchers to
Bubastes. Their reports would then be compared, and unless
any one animal appeared exactly to suit all requirements, a
visit would be made by the high-priest of the temple him-
self to three or four of the cats most highly reported upon.
If he found one of them worthy of the honour, it would be
selected for the vacant position.
If none of them came up to the lofty standard the post
would remain unfilled for a year or two, when it might be
hoped that among the rising generation of cats a worthy
successor to the departed one might be found. For them-
selves they must continue their search in Thebes and its
neighbourhood, as all claimants must be examined; but
they assured Amense that they thought it most improbable
that a cat equal to Paucis would be found.
Some months had passed, and it was not until a week
after the funeral of Neco that a message arrived, saying
that the report concerning Paucis by the priests who had
visited Thebes was so much more favourable than that
given by any of the other searchers of the animals they
had seen, that it had been decided by the high-priest that
it alone was worthy of the honour.
The messenger stated that in the course of a fortnight a
deputation consisting of the high-priest and several leading
functionaries of the temple, with a retinue of the lower
clergy and attendants, would set out from Bubastes by
water in order to receive the sacred cat, and to conduct her
with all due ceremony to the shrine of Bubastes. Mysa
was delighted at the honour which had befallen her cat
.
Privately she was less fond of Paucis than of some of the
less stately cats; for Paucis, from the time it grew up, had
none of the playfulness of the tribe, but deported itself with
a placid dignity which would do honour to its new position,
but which rendered it less amusing to Mysa than its
humbler but more active companions.


A GREAT HONOUR.
165
Amense was vastly gratified at the news. It was con-
sidered the highest honour that could befall an Egyptian
for one of his animals to be chosen to fill the chief post in
one of the temples, and next in dignity to Apis himself
was the sacred cat of the great goddess known as Baste,
Bubastes, or Pasht
.
As soon as the news was known, all the friends and
acquaintances of the family flocked in to offer their con-
gratulations; and so many visits were paid to Mysa's in-
closure that even the tranquility of Paucis was disturbed
by the succession of admirers, and Amense, declaring that
she felt herself responsible for the animal being in perfect
health when the priests arrived for it, permitted only the
callers, whom she particularly desired to honour, to pay a
visit of inspection to it
.
CHAPTER X.
THE CAT OF BUBASTES.
FOR several days, upon paying their morning visit to the
birds and other pets in the inclosure in the garden,
Chebron and Mysa had observed an unusual timidity among
them. The wild fowl, instead of advancing to meet them
with demonstrations of welcome, remained close among the
reeds, and even the ibis did not respond at once to their call.
"They must have been alarmed at something," Chebron
said the third morning. "Some bird of prey must have
been swooping down upon them. See here, there are several
feathers scattered about, and some of them are stained with
blood. Look at that pretty drake that was brought to us
by the merchants in trade with the far East. Its mate is
missing. It may be a hawk or some creature of the weasel


166
THE FATAL ARROW.
tribe. At any rate we must try to put a stop to it This is
the third morning that we have noticed the change in the
behaviour of the birds. Doubtless three of them have been
carried off. Amuba and I will watch to-morrow with our
bows and arrows and see if we cannot put an end to the
marauder. If this goes on we shall lose all our pets."
Upon the following morning Chebron and Amuba went
down to the inclosure soon after daybreak, and concealing
themselves in some shrubs waited for the appearance of the
intruder. The ducks were splashing about in the pond,
evidently forgetful of their fright of the day before; and as
soon as the sun was up the dogs came out of their house
and threw themselves down on a spot where his rays could
fall upon them, while the cats sat and cleaned themselves
on a ledge behind a lattice, for they were only allowed to
run about in the inclosure when some one was there to pre-
vent their interference with birds.
For an hour there was no sign of an enemy. Then one of
the birds gave a sudden cry of alarm, and there was a
sudden flutter as all rushed to shelter among the reeds; but
before the last could get within cover a dark object shot
down from above. There was a frightened cry and a violent
flapping as a large hawk suddenly seized one of the water-
fowl and struck it to the ground . In an instant the
watchers rose to their feet, and as the hawk rose with its
prey in its talons they shot their arrows almost simul-
taneously Amuba's arrow struck the hawk between the
wings, and the creature fell dead still clutching its prey.
Chebron's arrow was equally well aimed, but it struck a
twig which deflected its course and it flew wide of the mark.
Amuba gave a shout of triumph and leapt out from among
the bushes. But he paused and turned as an exclamation
of alarm broke from Chebron. To his astonishment, he
saw a look of horror on his companion's face. His bow
was still outstretched, and he stood as if petrified.
"What's the matter, Chebron ?" Amuba exclaimed. "What


A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
167
has happened? Has a deadly snake bit you? What is it,
Chebron?"
"Do you not see?" Chebron said in a low voice.
"I see nothing," Amuba replied looking round, and at
the same time putting another arrow into his bow-string
ready to repel the attack of some dangerous creature.
"Where is it? T can see nothing."
"My arrow; it glanced off a twig and entered there; I
saw one of the cats fall . I must have killed it"
Two years before Amuba would have laughed at the horror
which Chebron's face expressed at the accident of shooting
a cat, but he had been long enough in Egypt to know how
serious were the consequences of such an act Better by
far that Chebron's arrow had lodged in the heart of a man.
In that case an explanation of the manner in which the
accident had occurred, a compensation to the relatives of
the slain, and an expiatory offering at one of the temples
would have been deemed sufficient to purge him from the
offence; but to kill a cat, even by accident, was the most
unpardonable offence an Egyptian could commit, and the
offender would assuredly be torn to pieces by the mob.
Knowing this he realized at once the terrible import of
Chebron's words.
For a moment he felt almost as much stunned as Chebron
himself, but he quickly recovered his presence of mind.
"There is only one thing to be done, Chebron; we must
dig a hole and bury it at once. I will run and fetch a hoe."
Throwing down his bow and arrows he ran to the little
shed at the other end of the garden where the implements
were kept, bidding a careless good morning to the men who
were already at work there. He soon rejoined Chebron,
who had not moved from the spot from which he had shot
the unlucky arrow.
"Do you think this is best, Amuba? Don't you think I
had better go and tell my father?"
"I do not think so, Chebron. Upon any other matter it


chebron's despair.
169
Chebron seemed paralyzed at the news.
"Come, Chebron," Amuba said, "it will not do to give
way to fear, we must brave it out I will leave the door of
the cat-house open, and when it is missed it will be thought
that it has escaped and wandered away. At any rate there
is no reason why suspicion should fall upon us if we do but
put a bold face upon the matter; but we must not let our
looks betray us. If the worst comes to the worst, and we find
that suspicions are entertained, we must get out of the way.
But there will be plenty of time to think of that, all that
you have got to do now is to try and look as if nothing had
happened."
"But how can 11" Chebron said in broken tonea "To you,
as you say, it is only a cat; to me it is a creature sacred
above all others that I have slain. It is ten thousand times
worse than if I had killed a man."
"A cat is a cat," Amuba repeated. "I can understand what
you feel about it, though to my mind it is ridiculous. There
are thousands of cats in Thebes, let them choose another one
for the temple. But I grant the danger of what has happened,
and I know that if it is found out there is no hope for us."
"You had nothing to do with it," Chebron said; "there
is no reason why you should take all this risk with me."
"We were both in the matter, Chebron, and that twig might
just as well have turned my arrow from its course as yours. We
went to kill a hawk together and we have shot a cat, and it
is a terrible business, there is no doubt; and it makes no dif-
ference whatever whether I think the cat was only a cat if
the people of Thebes considered it is a god. If it is found
out it is certain death, and we shall need all our wits to
save our lives; but unless you pluck up courage and look a
little more like yourself, we may as well go at once and
say what has happened and take the consequences. Only
if you don't value your life I do mine; so if you mean to let
your looks betray us, say so, and stop here for a few hours
till I get a good start."


170
"I WILL TELL MY FATHER."
"I will tell my father," Chebron said suddenly, "and abide
by what he says. If he thinks it is his duty to denounce me,
so be it; in that case you will run no risk."
"But I don't mind running the risk, Chebron; I am quite
ready to share the peril with you."
"No; I will tell my father," Chebron repeated, "and abide
by what he says. I am sure I can never face this out by
myself, and that my looks will betray us. I have committed
the most terrible crime an Egyptian can commit, and I dare
not keep such a secret to myself."
"Very well, Chebron, I will not try to dissuade you, and
I will go and see Jethro. Of course to him as to me the
shooting of a cat is a matter not worth a second thought;
but he will understand the consequences, and if we fly will
accompany us. You do not mind my speaking to him? You
could trust your life to him as to me."
Chebron nodded, and moved away towards the house.
"For pity sake, Chebron!" Amuba exclaimed, "do not
walk like that If the men at work get sight of you they can-
not but see that something strange has happened, and it will
be recalled against you when the creature is missed."
Chebron made an effort to walk with his usual gait
Amuba stood watching him for a minute, and then turned
away with a gesture of impatience.
"Chebron is clever and learned in many things, and I do
not think that he lacks courage; but these Egyptians seem
to have no iron in their composition when a pinch comes.
Chebron walks as if all his bones had turned to jelly. Of
course he is in a horrible scrape; still if he would but face it
out with sense and pluck it would be easier for us all. How-
ever, I do think that it is more the idea that he has com-
mitted an act of horrible sacrilege than the fear of death
that weighs him down. If it were not so serious a matter
one could almost laugh at any one being crushed to the
earth because he had accidentally killed a cat"
Upon entering the house Chebron made his way to the


"YOUR LIFE IS INDEED FORFEITED."
171
room where his father was engaged in study. Dropping the
heavy curtains over the door behind him he advanced a few
paces, then fell on his knees, and touched the ground with
his forehead.
"Chebron!" Ameres exclaimed, laying down the roll of
papyrus on which he was engaged and rising to his feet.
"What is it, my son? Why do you thus kneel before me
in an attitude of supplication? Rise and tell me what has
happened."
Chebron raised his head but still continued on his knees.
Ameres was startled at the expression of his son's face. The
look of health and life had gone from it, the colour beneath
the bronze skin had faded away, drops of perspiration stood
on his forehead, his lips were parched and drawn.
"What is it, my son?" Ameres repeated, now thoroughly
alarmed.
"I have forfeited my life, father! Worse, I have offended
the gods beyond forgiveness! This morning I went with
Amuba with our bows and arrows to shoot a hawk which
has for some time been slaying the water-fowl. It came
down and we shot together. Amuba killed the hawk, but my
arrow struck a tree and flew wide of the mark, and entering
the cat's house killed Paucis, who was chosen only two days
ago to take the place of the sacred cat in the temple of
Bubastes."
An exclamation of horror broke from the high-priest, and
he recoiled a pace from his son.
"Unhappy boy," he said, "your life is indeed forfeited.
The king himself could not save his son from the fury of the
populace had he perpetrated such a deed."
"It is not my life I am thinking of, father," Chebron
said, "but first of the horrible sacrilege, and then that I
alone cannot bear the consequences, but that some of these
must fall upon you and my mother and sister; for even to
be related to one who has committed such a crime is a ter-
rible disgrace."


172
"THAT IS NOT TROUBLING ME."
Ameres walked up and down the room several times be-
fore he spoke.
"As to our share of the consequences, Chebron, we must
bear it as best we can," he said at last in a calmer tone than
he had before used; "it is of you we must first think. It is
a terrible affair; and yet, as you say, it was but an accident,
and you are guiltless of any intentional sacrilege. But that
plea will be as nothing. Death is the punishment for slay-
ing a cat; and the one you have slain having been chosen to
succeed the cat of Bubastes, is of all others the one most
sacred. The question is, what is to be done 1 You must fly
and that instantly, though I fear that flight will be vain; for
as soon as the news is known it will spread from one end of
Egypt to the other, and every man's hand will be against you,
and even by this time the discovery may have been made."
"That will hardly be, father; for Amuba has buried the
cat among the bushes, and has left the door of the house
open so that it may be supposed for a time that it has
wandered away. He proposed to me to fly with him at
once; for he declares that he is determined to share my fate
since we were both concerned in the attempt to kill the
hawk . But in that of course he is wrong; for it is I, not he,
who has done this thing."
"Amuba has done rightly," Ameres said. "We have at
least time to reflect"
"But I do not want to fly, father. Of what good will life be
to me with this awful sin upon my head? I wonder that you
suffer me to remain a moment in your presence—that you do
not cast me out as a wretch who has mortally offended the
gods."
Ameres waved his hand impatiently,
"That is not troubling me now, Chebron. I do not view
things in the same way as most men, and should it be that
you have to fly for your life I will tell you more; suffice for
you that I do not blame you, still less regard you with hor-
ror. The great thing for us to think of at present is as to the


"KEEP UP A BRAVE HEART."
173
best steps to be taken. Were you to fly now you might get
several days start, and might even get out of the country
before an alarm was spread; but upon the other hand your
disappearance would at once be connected with that of the
cat as soon as it became known that she is missing, whereas
if you stay here quietly it is possible that no one will con-
nect you in any way with the fact that the cat is gone.
"That something has happened to it will speedily be
guessed, for a cat does not stray away far from the place
where it has been bred up; besides a cat of such a size and
appearance is remarkable, and were it anywhere in the
neighbourhood it would speedily be noticed . But now go
and join Amuba in your room, and remain there for the
morning as usual . I will give orders that your instructor
be told that you will not want him to-day, as you are not
well . I will see you presently when I have thought the
matter fully out and determined what had best be done.
Keep up a brave heart, my boy; the danger may yet pass over."
Chebron retired overwhelmed with surprise at the kind-
ness with which his father had spoken to him, when he
had expected that he would be so filled with horror at the
terrible act of sacrilege that he would not have suffered him
to remain in the house for a moment after the tale was told.
And yet he had seemed to think chiefly of the danger to his
life, and to be but little affected by what to Chebron himself
was by far the most terrible part of the affair—the religious
aspect of the deed. On entering the room where he pur-
sued his studies he found Jethro as well as Amuba there.
"I am sorry for you, young master," Jethro said as he
entered . "Of course to me the idea of any fuss being made
over the accidental killing of a cat is ridiculous; but I know
how you view it, and the danger in which it has placed you.
I only came in here with Amuba to say that you can rely
upon me, and that if you decide on flight I am ready at once
to accompany you."
"Thanks, Jethro," Chebron replied. "Should I fly it will


174
"HK WILL NOT DENOUNCE YOU."
indeed be a comfort to have you with me as well as Amuba,
who has already promised to go with me; but at present
nothing is determined. I have seen my father and told him
everything, and he will decide for me."
"Then he will not denounce you," Amuba said. "I
thought that he would not"
"No; and he has spoken so kindly that I am amazed.
It did not seem possible to me that an Egyptian would
have heard of such a dreadful occurrence without feeling
horror and detestation of the person who did it, even were
he his own son. Still more would one expect it from a man
who, like my father, is a high-priest to the gods."
"Your father is a wise as well as a learned man," Jethro
said; "and he knows that the gods cannot be altogether
offended at an affair for which fate and not the slayer is
responsible. The real slayer of the cat is the twig which
turned the arrow, and I do not see that you are any more
to blame, or anything like so much to blame, as is the hawk
at whom you shot"
This, however, was no consolation to Chebron, who threw
himself down on a couch in a state of complete prostration.
It seemed to him that even could this terrible thing be
hidden he must denounce himself and bear the penalty.
How could he exist with the knowledge that he was under
the ban of the gods? His life would be a curse rather than
a gift under such circumstances. Physically, Chebron was
not a coward, but he had not the toughness of mental fibre
which enables some men to bear almost unmoved misfor-
tunes which would crush others to the ground. As to the
comforting assurances of Amuba and Jethro they failed to
give him the slightest consolation. He loved Amuba as
a brother, and in all other matters his opinion would have
weighed greatly with him; but Amuba knew nothing of the
gods of Egypt, and could not feel in the slightest the ter-
rible nature of the act of sacrilege, and therefore on this
point his opinion could have no weight


"I DO NOT MEAN TO FLY."
175
"Jethro," Amuba said, "you told me you were going to
escort Mysa one day or other to the very top of the hills,
in order that she could thence look down upon the whole
city. Put it into her head to go this morning, or at least
persuade her to go into the city. If she goes into the
garden she will at once notice that the cat is lost; whereas,
if you can keep her away for the day it will give us so
much more time."
"But if Ameres decides that you had best fly, I might on
my return find that you have both gone."
"Should he do so, Jethro, he will tell you the route we
have taken, and arrange for some point at which you can
join us. He would certainly wish you to go with us, for he
would know that your experience and strong arm would be
above all things needful."
"Then I will go at once," Jethro agreed . "There are two or
three excursions she has been wanting to make, and I think
I can promise that she shall go on one of them to-day. If
she says anything about wanting to go to see her pets before
starting, I can say that you have both been there this morn-
ing and seen after them."
"I do not mean to fly," Chebron said, starting up, "unless
it be that my father commands me to do so. Rather a
thousand worlds I stay here and meet my fate!"
Jethro would have spoken, but Amuba signed to him to
go at once, and crossing the room took Chebron's hand. It
was hot and feverish, and there was a patch of colour in his
cheek
.
"Do not let us talk about it, Chebron," he said. "You
have put the matter in your father's hands, and you may be
sure that he will decide wisely; therefore the burden is off
your shoulders for the present. You could have no better
counsellor in all Egypt, and the fact that he holds so high
and sacred an office will add to the weight of his words. If
he believes that your crime against the gods is so great that
you have no hope of happiness in life, he will tell you so;


178
A REVELATION.
you left me, thought over from every point of view what I
ought to do. On the one hand, I should have to tell you
things known only to an inner circle, things which were it
known I had whispered to anyone my life would be for-
feited. On the other hand, if I keep silent I should doom
you to a life of misery. I have resolved to take the former
alternative. I may first tell you what you do not know,
that I have long been viewed with suspicion by those of
the higher priesthood who know my views, which are that
the knowledge we possess should not be confined to our-
selves, but should be disseminated, at least, among that
class of educated Egyptians capable of appreciating it
"What I am about to tell you is not, as a whole, fully
understood perhaps by any. It is the outcome of my own
reflections, founded upon the light thrown upon things by
the knowledge I have gained. You asked me one day, Cheb-
ron, how we knew about the gods—how they first revealed
themselves, seeing that they are not things that belong to
the world? I replied to you at the time that these things
are mysteries—a convenient answer with which we close the
mouths of questioners.
"Listen now and I will tell you how religion first began
upon earth, not only in Egypt but in all lands. Man felt his
own powerlessness. Looking at tho operations of nature—
the course of the heavenly bodies, the issues of birth and life
and death—he concluded, 
d rightly, that there was a God
over all things, but this God was too mighty for his imagina-
tion to grasp.
"He was everywhere and nowhere, he animated all things,
and yet was nowhere to be found;-he gave fertility and he
caused famine, he gave life and he gave death, he gave light
and heat, he sent storms and tempests. He was too infinite
and too various for the untutored mind of the early man to
comprehend, and so they tried to approach him piece-meal.
They worshipped him as the sun, the giver of heat and life
and fertility; they worshipped him as a destructive god,


THE GROWTH OF RELIGIONS.
179
they invoked his aid as a beneficent being, they offered
sacrifices to appease his wrath as a terrible one. And so in
time they came to regard all these attributes of his—all his
sides and lights under which they viewed him—as being
distinct and different, and instead of all being the qualities
of one God as being each the quality or attribute of separate
gods.
"So there came to be a god of life and a god of death,
one who sends fertility and one who causes famine. All
sorts of inanimate objects were defined as possessing some
fancied attribute either for good or evil, and the one Almighty
God became hidden and lost in the crowd of minor deities.
In some nations the fancies of man went one way, in another
another. The lower the intelligence of the people the lower
their gods. In some countries serpents are sacred, doubtless
because originally they were considered to typify at onco the
subtleness and the destructive power of a god. In others
trees are worshipped. There are peoples who make the sun
their god. Others the moon. Our forefathers in Egypt
being a wiser people than the savages around them, wor-
shipped the attributes of gods under many different names.
First, eight great deities were chosen to typify the chief
characteristics of the Mighty One. Chnoumis, or Neuf,
typified the idea of the spirit of God—that spirit which per-
vades all creation. Ameura, the intellect of God. Osiris, the
goodness of God . Ptah typified at once the working power
and the truthfulness of God. Khem represents the produc-
tive power—the god who presides over the multiplication of
all species: man, beast, fish, and vegetable—and so with
the rest of the great gods and of the minor divinities, which
are reckoned by the score.
"In time certain animals, birds, and other creatures, whose
qualities are considered to resemble one or other of the
deities, are in the first place regarded as typical of them, then
are held as sacred to them, then in some sort of way become
mixed up with the gods and to be held almost as the gods


180
TIIE GOD OF THE ISRAELITES.
themselves. This is, I think, the history of the religions of all
countries. The highest intelligences, the men of education
and learning, never quite lose sight of the original truths,
and recognize that the gods represent only the various attri-
butes of the one Almighty God. The rest of the population
lose sight of the truth, and really worship as gods these
various creations, that are really but types and shadows.
"It is perhaps necessary that it should be so. It is easier
for the grosser and more ignorant classes to worship things
that they can see and understand, to strive to please those
whose statues and temples they behold, to fear to draw
upon themselves the vengeance of those represented to them
as destructive powers, than to worship an inconceivable God,
without form or shape, so mighty the imagination cannot
picture him, so beneficent, so all-providing, so equable and
serene, that the human mind cannot grasp even a notion of
him. Man is material, and must worship the material in a
form in which he thinks he can comprehend it, and so he
creates gods for himself with figures, likenesses, passions,
and feelings like those of the many animals he sees around
him.
"The Israelite maid whom we brought hither, and with
whom I have frequently conversed, tells me that her people
before coming to this land worshipped but one God like
unto him of whom I have told you, save that they belittled
him by deeming that he was their own special God, caring
for them above all peoples of the earth; but in all other
respects he corresponded with the Almighty One whom we
who have gained glimpses of the truth which existed ere the
Pantheon of Egypt came into existence, worship in our
hearts, and it seems to me as if this little handful of men
who came to Egypt hundreds of years ago were the only
people in the world who kept the worship of the one God
clear and undefiled."
Chebron and Amuba listened in awe-struck silence to the
words of the high-priest Amuba's face lit up with pleasure


THE TRUE NATURE OF THE GODS.
181
and enthusiasm as he listened to words which seemed to
clear away all the doubts and difficulties that had been in
his mind. To Chebron the revelation, though a joyful one,
came as a great shock. His mind, too, had long been un-
satisfied. He had wondered and questioned, but the destruc-
tion at one blow of all the teachings of his youth, of all he
had held sacred, came at first as a terrible shock . Neither
spoke when the priest concluded, and after a pause he re-
sumed.
"You will understand, Chebron, that what I have told you
is not in its entirety held even by the most enlightened,
and that the sketch I have given you of the formation of all
religions is, in fact, the idea which I myself have formed as
the result of all I have learned, both as one initiated in all
the learning of the ancient Egyptians and from my own
studies both of our oldest records and the traditions of all
the peoples with whom Egypt has come in contact But that
all our gods merely represent attributes of the one deity,
and have no personal existence as represented in our temples,
is acknowledged more or less completely by all those most
deeply initiated in the mysteries of our religion.
"When we offer sacrifices we offer them not to the images
behind our altar, but to God the creator, God the preserver,
God the fertilizer, to God the ruler, to God the omnipotent
over good and evil. Thus, you see, there is no mockery in
our services, although to us they bear an inner meaning not
understood by others. They worship a personality endowed
with principle; we the principle itself. They see in the
mystic figure the representation of a deity; we see in it the
type of an attribute of a higher deity.
"You may think that in telling you all this I have told
you things which should be told only to those whose privilege
it is to have learned the inner mysteries of their religion,
that, maybe, I am untrue to my vows. These, lads, are
matters for my own conscience. Personally, I have long been
impressed with the conviction that it were better that the


182 CHEBRON RELIEVED FROM HIS BURDEN.
circles of initiates should be very widely extended, and that
all capable by education and intellect of appreciating the
mightiness of the truth should no longer be left in darkness.
I have been overruled, and should never have spoken had
not this accident taken place; but when I see that the whole
happiness of your life is at stake, that should the secret ever
be discovered you will either be put to death despairing and
hopeless, or have to fly and live despairing and hopeless in
some foreign country, I have considered that the balance of
duty lay on the side jof lightening your mind by a revela-
tion of what was within my own. And it is not, as I have told
you, so much the outcome of the teaching I have received as
of my own studies and a conviction I have arrived at as to
the nature of God . Thus, then, my son, you can lay aside
the horror which you have felt at the thought that by the
accidental slaying of a cat you offended the gods beyond for-
giveness. The cat is but typical of the qualities attributed
to Baste. Baste herself is but typical of one of the qualities
of the One God."
"Oh, my father!" Chebron exclaimed, throwing himself
on his knees beside Ameres and kissing his hand, "how
good you are. What a weight have you lifted from my
mind. What a wonderful future have you opened to me if
I escape the danger that threatens me now. If I have to die
I can do so like one who fears not the future after death. If
I live I shall no longer be oppressed with the doubts and
difficulties which have so long weighed upon me. Though till
now you have given me no glimpse of the great truth, I have
at times felt not only that the answers you gave me failed to
satisfy me, but it seemed to me also that you yourself with
all your learning and wisdom were yet unable to set me right
in these matters as you did in all others upon which I
questioned you. My father, you have given me life, and
more than life—you have given me a power over fate. I am
ready now to fly, should you think it best, or to remain here
and risk whatever may happen."


THE FINAL DECISION.
183
"I do not think you should fly, Chebron. In the first
place, flight would be an acknowledgment of guilt; in the
second, I do not see where you could fly. To-morrow,
at latest, the fact that the creature is missing will be dis-
covered, and as soon as it was known that you had gone a
hot pursuit would be set up. If you went straight down to
the sea you would probably be overtaken long before you
got there; and even did you reach a port before your pur-
suers you might have to wait days before a ship sailed.
"Then again, did you hide in any secluded neighbourhood,
you would surely be found sooner or later, for the news will
go from end to end of Egypt, and it will be everyone's duty
to search for and denounce you. Messengers would be sent
to all countries under Egyptian government, and even if you
passed our frontiers by land or sea your peril would be as
as great as it is here. Lastly, did you surmount all these
difficulties, and reach some land beyond the sway of Egypt,
you would be an exile for life. Therefore I say that flight
is your last resource, to be undertaken only if a discovery is
made; but we may hope that no evil fortune will lead the
searchers to the conclusion that the cat was killed here.
"When it is missed there will be search high and low
in which every one will join. When the conclusion is at
last arrived at that it has irrecoverably disappeared, all
sorts of hypothesis will be started to account for it, some will
think that it probably wandered to the hills and became
the prey of hyenas or other wild beasts; some will assert
that it has been killed and hidden away; others that it
has made its way down to the Nile and has been carried
off by a crocodile. Thus there is no reason why suspicion
should fall upon you more than upon others, but you will
have to play your part carefully."


184
"IT IS wonderful!"
CHAPTER XL
DANGERS THICKEN.
WHEN Chebron and Amuba returned to the room set
apart for their use and study their conversation did
not turn upon the slaying of the cat or the danger which
threatened them, but upon the wonderful revelation that
Ameres had made . Neither of them thought for a moment
of doubting his words. Their feeling of reverence for his
wisdom and learning would have been sufficient in itself for
them to accept without a question any statement that he
made to them. But there was in addition their own inward
conviction of the truth of his theory. It appealed at once
to their heads and hearts. It satisfied all their longing and
annihilated their doubts and difficulties; cleared away at
once the pantheon of strange and fantastic figures that had
been a source of doubting amusement to Amuba, of bewil-
derment to Chebron.
"The Israelite maid Ruth was right, then," Amuba said.
"You know that she told us that her forefathers who came
down into Egypt believed that there was one God only, and
that all the others were false gods. She said that he could not
be seen or pictured; that he was God of all the heavens, and
so infinite that the mind of man could form no idea of him.
Everything she said of him seems to be true, except inas-
much as she said he cared more for her ancestors than for
other men; but of course each nation and people would
think that"
"It is wonderful," Chebron replied as he paced restlessly
up and down the room. "Now that I know the truth it
seems impossible I could have really believed that all the
strange images of our temples really represented gods. It
worried me to think of them. I could not see how they


"PAUCIS IS MISSING."
185
could be, and yet I never doubted their existence. It seems
to me now that all the people of Egypt are living in a sort of
nightmare. Why do those who know so much suffer them
to remain in such darkness?"
"I understood your father to say, Chebron, that he him-
self is only in favour of the more enlightened and educated
people obtaining a glimpse of the truth. I think I can
understand that. Were all the lower class informed that the
gods they worshipped were merely shadows of a great God
and not real living deities, they would either fall upon and
rend those who told them so as impious liars, or, if they
could be made to believe it, they would no longer hold to
any religion, and in their rage might tear down the temples,
abolish the order of priesthood altogether, spread tumult
and havoc through the land, rebel against all authority,
destroy with one blow all the power and glory of Egypt."
"That is true," Chebron said thoughtfully. "No doubt
the ignorant mass of the people require something material
to worship. They need to believe in gods who will punish
impiety and wrong and reward.well-doing; and the religion
of Egypt, as they believe it, is better suited to their daily
wants than the worship of a deity so mighty and great and
good that their intellect would fail altogether to grasp
him."
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the
entrance of Ruth.
"Paucis is missing. When we came back from our walk
we went out to the animals, and the door of the house is
open and the cat has gone. Mysa says will you come at
once and help look for it. I was to send all the women
who can be spared from the house to join in the search."
Work was instantly abandoned, for all knew that Paucis
had been chosen to be the sacred cat at Bubastes; but even
had it been one of the others the news that it was missing
would have caused a general excitement . So esteemed were
even the most common animals of the cat tribe that, if a cat


186
THE SEARCH BEGUN.
happened to die in a house, the inhabitants went into
mourning and shaved their eyebrows in token of their grief;
the embalmers were sent for, the dead cat made into a
mummy, and conveyed with much solemnity to the great
catacombs set aside for the burial of the sacred animals.
Thus the news that Paucis was missing was so important
that work was at once laid aside and the men and female
slaves began to search the garden thoroughly, examining
every bush and tree, and calling loudly to the missing
animal. Chebron and Amuba joined in the search as
actively as the rest
.
"Where can it bet" Mysa exclaimed. "Why should it
have wandered away? It never did so before, though the
door of the cat-house is often left open all day. Where do
you think it can have gone to? Do you think it could
have got over the wall?"
"It could get over the wall easily enough," Chebron
replied.
"It is a terrible misfortune!" continued Mysa with tears
in her eyes. "Mamma fainted on hearing the news, and her
women are burning feathers under her nose and slapping
her hands and sprinkling water on her face. Whatever will
be done if it does not come back before to-morrow, for I
hear a solemn procession is coming from Bubastes to fetch
it away? Poor dear Paucis! And it seemed so contented
and happy, and it had everything it could want! What
can have induced her to wander away?"
"Cats are often uncertain things," Amuba said. "They are
not like dogs, who are always ready to follow their masters,
and who will lie down for hours, ready to start out when-
ever called upon."
"Yes, but Paucis was not a common cat, Amuba. It
did not want to catch mice and birds for a living. It had
everything it could possibly want—cushions to lie on, and
fresh water and milk to drink, and plenty of everything
to eat"


"I FELT HORRIBLY GUILTY."
187
"But even all that will not satisfy cats when the instinct
to wander comes upon them," Amuba said.
Ameres himself soon came out of the house, and, upon
hearing that the cat was not to be found either in the gar-
den or within, gave orders for the whole of the males of the
household to sally out in the search, to inform all the neigh-
bours what had happened, and to pray them to search their
gardens. They were also to make every inquiries of all they
met whether they had seen a cat resembling Paucis.
"This is a very serious matter," Ameres said. "After
the choice of the priests of Bubastes had fixed upon Paucis
to be the sacred cat of the temple of Bubastes, the greatest
care and caution should have been exercised respecting an
animal towards whom all the eyes of Egypt were turned.
For the last two or three weeks the question as to which
cat was to succeed to the post of honour has been discussed
in every household. Great has been the excitement among
all the families possessing cats that had the smallest chance
whatever of being selected; and what will be said if the
cat is not forthcoming when the procession arrives to-
morrow from Bubastes to conduct her there, I tremble to
think of. The excitement and stir will be prodigious, and
the matter will become of state importance. Well, do not
stand here, but go at once and join in the search."
"I felt horribly guilty when talking to Mysa," Chebron
said. "Of course she is very proud that Paucis was chosen
for the temple, but I know that she has really been grieving
over the approaching loss of her favourite. But of course
that was nothing to what she will feel when she finds that
no news whatever can be obtained of the creature; and it
was hard to play the part and to pretend to know nothing
about it, when all the time one knew it was lying dead and
buried in the garden."
"Yes, I felt that myself," Amuba agreed, "but we cannot
help it . Mysa will probably in the course of her life have
very much more serious grief to bear than the loss of a cat."


188
NO NEWS OF PAUCIS.
All day the search was maintained, and when it was dark
great numbers of men with torches searched every point far
and near on that side of Thebes. The news had now spread
far and wide, and numbers of the friends of the high-priest
called to inquire into the particulars of the loss and to con-
dole with him on the calamity which had befallen his house.
Innumerable theories were broached as to the course the
animal would have taken after once getting out of the gar-
den, while the chances of its recovery were eagerly dis-
cussed. The general opinion was that it would speedily
be found. A cat of such remarkable appearance must, it
was argued, attract notice wherever it went; and even if
it did not return of its own accord, as was generally ex-
pected, it was considered certain that it would be brought
back before many hours.
But when upon the following morning it was found that
it had not returned and that all search for it had been
fruitless, there was a feeling akin to consternation. For the
first time men ventured to hint that something must have
befallen the sacred cat Either in its rambles some evil dog
must have fallen upon it and slain it, or it must have
been carried off by a crocodile as it quenched its thirst at
a pool. That it had fallen by the hand of man no one
even suggested. No Egyptian would be capable of an act
of such sacrilege. The idea was too monstrous to entertain
for a moment
Mysa had cried herself to sleep, and broke forth in fresh
lamentation when upon waking in the morning she heard
that her favourite was still absent; while her mother took
the calamity so seriously to heart that she kept her bed.
The slaves went about silently and spoke with bated breath,
as if a death had taken place in the house. Ameres and
Chebron were both anxious and disturbed, knowing that
the excitement would grow every hour; while Amuba and
Jethro, joining busily in the search and starting on horse-
back the first thing in the morning to make inquiries in


THE POPULAR VIEW.
189
more distant localities, were secretly amused at the fuss and
excitement which was being made over the loss of a cat
It was well for the household of Ameres that he occupied
so exalted a position in the priesthood. Had he been a
private citizen, the excitement, which increased hour by hour
when the vigilant search carried on far and wide for the
missing cat proved fruitless, would speedily have led to an
outbreak of popular fury. But the respect due to the high-
priest of Osiris, his position, his well-known learning and
benevolence rendered it impossible for the supposition to
be entertained for a moment that the cat could have come
to an untimely end within the limit of his house or garden,
but it was now generally believed that, after wandering
away, as even the best conducted of cats will do at times,
it had fallen a victim to some savage beast or had been
devoured by a crocodile.
So heavy was the penalty for the offence, so tremendous
the sacrilege in killing a cat, that such an act was almost
unknown in Egypt, and but few instances are recorded of
its having taken place. As in the present case the enormity
of the act would be vastly increased by the size and beauty
of the cat, and the fact that it had been chosen for the temple
of Bubastes, this seemed to put it altogether beyond the
range of possibility that the creature had fallen by the
hands of man. When a week passed without tidings it was
generally accepted as a fact that the cat must be dead, and
Ameres and his household in accordance with the custom
shaved their eyebrows in token of mourning.
Although not suspected of having had anything to do
with the loss of the cat the event nevertheless threw a sort of
cloud over the household of Ameres. It was considered to
be such a terrible stroke of ill-luck that a cat, and above all
such a cat should have been lost upon the very eve of her
being installed as the most sacred animal in the temple of
Bubastes, that it seems as if it must be a direct proof of the
anger of the gods, and there was a general shrinking on the


190
THE DANGER THICKENS.
part of their friends and acquaintances from intercourse
with people upon whom such a misfortune had fallen.
Ameres cared little for public opinion, and continued on
his way with placid calmness, ministering in the temple
and pasring the rest of his time in study.
The example of Ameres, however, was wholly lost upon
his wife. The deference paid to her as the wife of the high-
priest, and also to herself as the principal figure in the services
in which women took part, was very dear to her, and she
felt the change greatly. Her slaves had a very bad time of it,
and she worried Ameres with constant complaints as to the
changed demeanour of her acquaintances and his indifference
to the fact that they were no longer asked to entertain-
ments; nor was she in any way pacified by his quiet
assurances that it was useless for them to irritate them-
selves over trifles, and that matters would mend themselves
in time.
But as the days went on, so far from mending things
became worse, groups of people frequently assembled round
the house, and shouts of anger and hatred were raised when
any of the occupants entered or left Even when Ameres
was passing through the streets in procession with the
sacred emblems hoots and cries were raised among the
crowd . Chebron took this state of things greatly to heart,
and more than once he implored his father to allow him to
declare the truth openly and bear the consequence*
"I am not afraid of death, father. Have you not trained
me to regard life as of no account? Do we not in our feasts
always see the image of a dead man carried past to remind
us that death is always among us? You have Mysa and
my mother. I fear death far less than this constant anxiety
that is hanging over us."
But Ameres would not hear of the sacrifice.
"I do not pretend that there is no danger, Chebron. I
thought at first that the matter would soon pass over, but
I own that I was wrong. The unfortunate fact that the


"A GENERAL RUIN WOULD FALL UPON US." 191
creature was chosen as sacred cat for the temple at Bubastes
has given its loss a prominence far beyond that which there
would have been had it been an ordinary animal of its class,
and the affair has made an extraordinary sensation in the
city. Still I cannot but think that an enemy must be at
work stirring up the people against me. I suspect, although
I may be wrong, that Ptylus is concerned in the matter.
Since he reappeared after his sudden absence following the
night when you overheard that conversation, he has affected
a feeling of warmth and friendship which I believe have
been entirely feigned.
"Whether he was one of those you overheard I am un-
able to say, but his sudden disappearance certainly favours
that idea. At any rate, he can have no real reason for any
extra cordiality towards me at present, but would more
naturally still feel aggrieved at my rejection of his son as a
husband for Mysa. I thought at first when you told me
what you had overheard that possibly it was a plot against
my life. Now I feel sure of it
"No doubt they believe, as no measures were taken, that
their conversation was not overheard or that only a few
words reached the listeners, and his manner to me is de-
signed to allay any suspicion I might have conceived had as
much of the conversation as was overheard been reported to
me. It has had just the opposite effect At any rate, an
enemy is at work, and even were you to sacrifice yourself
by admitting that you slew the missing animal, not only
would your death be the result but a general ruin would
fall upon us.
"The mob would easily be taught to believe that I must
to a great extent be responsible; the opinions I have ex-
pressed would be quoted against me, and even the favour of
the king could not maintain me in my present position in
defiance of popular clamour. No, my son, we must stand or
fall altogether. Jethro offered yesterday if I liked to dig up
the remains of the cat, carry it away and hide it under some


"WHITHER COULD THEY FLY?"
193
Jethro, to save him if it be possible with Amuba, for I fear
that Amuba is in as much danger as he is.
"Should the slaves be seized and questioned, and perhaps
flogged, till they say what they know, the fact would be sure
to come out that the two lads were together among the
animals on the morning before the cat was missed. It will
be noticed, too, that they took with them their bows and
arrows. It will therefore be assumed that the responsibility
of the act lies upon both of them . Chebron, I know, would
proclaim the truth if he had an opportunity for speech, but
an angry crowd does not stop to listen, and the same fate
will befall them both.
"You who are a stranger to our manners can hardly con-
ceive the frenzy of excitement and rage in which the popu-
lation of Egypt are thrown by the killing of a cat I doubt
whether even the king's person would be held sacred were
the guilt of such an offence brought home to him; and, of
course, the fact that this unfortunate beast was to have gone
to the temple of Bubastes makes its death a matter ten
times graver than ordinary. Therefore, should the storm
burst, there is no hope for either of them but in flight
The question is, whither could they fly?
"Certainly they would be safe nowhere in Egypt Nor,
were it possible that they could journey north and reach
the sea, could they do so before the news reached the ports.
Naturally messengers would be sent to the frontier towns,
and even the governors of the provinces lying east of the
Great Sea would hear of it; and could they leave the
country and cross the desert they might be seized and sent
back on their arrival. For the same reason the routes from
here to the ports on the Arabian Sea are closed to them
.
It seems to me that their only hope of safety lies in reaching
the country far up the Nile and gaining Meroe, over whose
people the authority of Egypt is but a shadow, thence
possibly they might some day reach the Arabian Sea, cross
that and pass up through the country east of the Great Sea,
(481) N


194
JETHRO'S PROMISE.
and travelling by the route by which you came hither reach
your country. Long before they could leave the savage
tribes and start upon their journey this matter would have
been forgotten, and whatever dangers might befall them
that of arrest for participation in this matter would not be
among them.
"I know that your fidelity and friendship for the son of
your late king would cause you to risk all dangers and hard-
ships for his sake, and that if bravery and prudence could
take him safely through such terrible dangers as would be
encountered in such a journey as I speak of, you will conduct
him through them. I ask you to let Chebron share your
protection, and to render him such service as you will give
to Amuba."
"I can promise that willingly, my lord," Jethro answered.
"He has treated Amuba more as a brother than a servant
since we came here, and I will treat him as if he were a
brother to Amuba now that danger threatens. The journey
you speak of would, indeed, be a long and dangerous one;
but I agree with you that only by accomplishing it is there
even a chance of escape."
"Then I commit my son to your charge, Jethro, and I
do so with full confidence that if it be possible for him to
make this journey in safety he will do so. I have already
placed in the hands of Chigron, the embalmer, a large sum
of money. You can trust him absolutely. It is through
my patronage that he has risen from being a small worker
to be the master of one of the largest businesses in Egypt,
and he has the embalming of all the sacred animals belonging
to our temple, and several others. He will hide the boys
for a time until you are ready to start on your journey.
"When you are once a few days south of Thebes you will
be fairly safe from pursuit, for they will never think of
looking for you in that direction, but will make sure that
you will attempt to leave the country either by sea, by the
Eastern Desert, or that you may possibly try to reach some


mysa's future.
195
of the tribes in the west, and so to go down upon the
Great Sea there. I thought at first that this might be the
best direction; but the tribes are all subject to us, and
would naturally regard Egyptians going among them as
fugitives from justice, and so hand them over to us."
"You can rely upon me, my lord, to carry out your
directions and do all that is possible to serve the two lads.
What the country through which we have to pass is like, or
its inhabitants, I know not, but at least we will do our best
to reach the Arabian Sea as you direct. Amuba is hardy
and strong, and Chebron, though less powerful in frame, is
courageous, and able to use his weapons. We should, of
course, travel in disguise. But you spoke something about
your daughter—in what way can I serve her t I have now
accompanied her in her walks for months, and would lay
down my life for her."
"I fear that you can do nothing," Ameres said after a
pause. "We have many friends, one of whom will doubtless
receive her. At first I would, if it were possible, that she
should go to some relatives of mine who live at Amyla, fifty
miles up the river. She was staying with them two years
ago and will know the house; but I do not see how you
could take her—the boys will be sufficient charge on your
hands. She will have her mother with her, and though I
fear that the latter has little real affection for her, having
no time to think of aught but her own pleasure and amuse-
ment, she will be able to place her among the many friends
she has.
"It is not her present so much I am thinking of as her
future. I should like my little Mysa to marry happily.
She is a little self-willed, and has been indulged; and
although, of course, she would marry as I arrange for her,
I would not give her to anyone who was not altogether
agreeable to her. I fear that should anything happen to
me the same consideration might not be paid to her inclina-
tions. However, Jethro, I see no manner in which you can


196 "THE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS FICKLE."
be useful to Mysa. So far as she is concerned things must
be left to take their own course."
"I trust," Jethro said, "that your forebodings will not be
verified . I cannot believe that an absurd suspicion can
draw away the hearts of the people from one whom they
have so respected as yourself."
Ameres shook his head.
"The people are always fickle, Jethro, and easily led;
and their love and respect for the gods renders it easy for
anyone who works on that feeling to lash them into fury.
All else is as nothing in their eyes in comparison with their
religion. It is blind worship, if you will; but it is a sincere
one. Of all the people in the world there are none to whom
religion counts so much as to the Egyptains. It is inter-
woven with all their daily life. Their feasts and processions
are all religious, they eat and drink and clothe themselves
according to its decrees, and undertake no action, however
trifling, without consulting the gods. Thus, therefore, while
in all other respects obedience is paid to the law, they are
maddened by any supposed insult to their religion, or any
breach of its observances. I know that we are in danger.
The ideas that I have held of the regeneration of the people
by purifying their religious beliefs have been used as wea-
pons against me. I know from what has come to my ears
that it has been hinted among them, that in spite of my
high office I have no respect for the gods.
"The accusation is false, but none the less dangerous for
that . Nothing is more difficult than to expose or annihilate
a falsehood. It spreads like wild-fire, and the clearest
demonstration of its falsity fails to reach a tithe of those
who believe it. However, it is needless to speak of it now.
You know what I wish you to do if danger comes—get the
boys away, and conduct them to the place I have indicated.
If they are from home seek them and take them there.
Do not waste time in vain attempts to succour me. If you
are attacked, and this may possibly be the case, make, I


"I CANNOT LEAVE MY DUTIES."
197
pray you, no resistance save such as may be needed to get
away. Above all, do not try to interfere on my behalf.
One man, though endowed with supernatural strength, can-
not overcome a mob, and your trying to aid me would not
benefit me, and might cost you your life, and so deprive
Chebron and Amuba of their protector."
Jethro promised strictly to follow the instructions he had
received, and to devote himself in case of need solely to
insuring the safety of the boys.
Two days later, Ameres sent Chebron and Amuba away
to the farm, and told them to remain there until he sent
for them.
"You cannot go in and out here without unpleasantness,"
he said, "and had best be away. Your presence here can
be of no use, and you are probably quite as much suspected
as I am. As to your mother and sister, the present state of
things is inconvenient to them, but that is all. There can
be no danger for them; however violent a mob they would
not molest females."
"Why should not you also, father, go away until the
trouble is passed?"
"I cannot leave my duties, Chebron; nor would it benefit
me if I did. I am convinced that this cry against us is a
mere pretext which has been seized by enemies who dare
not attack me openly. Were I to depart from Thebes my
absence would be denounced as a proof of my guilt, and
the people be inflamed more and more against me, and
nowhere in Egypt should I be safe. My only course is to
face the storm, trusting to the integrity of my life, to the
absence of any deed which could offend the great God I
believe in, and to the knowledge that my life is in his hands.
When it is his will, and not before, it will return to him
who gave it me."
"Could you not apply to the king for guards?"
"The king spoke to me yesterday at the termination of
the council," Ameres replied, "and told me that he had


198
LAST ADVICE.
been informed of the murmurs of the populace against me
.
He said that as one of his most trusted counsellors, and as
a high-priest of Osiris, he knew that the charges against me
were baseless; but that in view of the proneness of the
people of Thebes to excitement and tumult, he should be
glad to order a company of soldiers to keep guard over my
house. I refused. I said that I was conscious of no evil,
that none could say that I was slack in my ministrations
in the temple, or that I had ever spoken a word in disre-
spect of our religion. That as for the disappearance of the
sacred cat, of which so much had been made, I had had
no hand in it, and that whatever had happened to it had
been, I was sure, the result of accident Were I to have
soldiers placed to guard me it would be a confession that
I was conscious of ill-doing, and knew that I had forfeited
the protection of the gods. It would, too, help to keep up
the talk and excitement, which I trusted would die away
ere long."
Chebron did not think of further questioning the orders
of Ameres, and an hour later he and Amuba rode out to
the farm. Before they started Ameres had a long talk with
Chebron, and told him that he had placed him in charge
of Jethro, in the event of any popular outbreak taking
place.
"Remember, Chebron," he said, " that whatever comes of
this affair you are not to blame yourself for the accident of
killing the cat All things are in the hands of the great
God, and your arrow would not have struck the twig and
flown straight to the heart of that creature had it not been
his will . Moreover, you must always remember that the loss
of this cat is but a pretext for the tumult
"The populace believe that they are angry on account of
the loss of the sacred cat, whereas, in fact, they are but in-
struments in the hands of my enemies. I have no doubt
whatever now that the plot you overheard in the temple
was directed against my life, and had not the loss of the


LEAVING FOR THE FARM.
199
cat happened opportunely and served them as a lever
with which to work against me, the plot would have taken
some other form. I trust sincerely that whatever fate may
befall your sister she may never have to marry the son of
the man who has plotted against my life. But it is no use
thinking of that now. Should aught happen before we
meet again, remember I have placed you in the hands of
Jethro, and have delegated my authority to him. He is
shrewd, strong, and courageous, and can be relied upon to
do what is best. In Amuba you will find a friend who will
be as a brother to you . So farewell, my son, and may the
great One who rules all things keep you!"
A stay at the farm had hitherto been regarded by Chebron
as a delightful change from the city, but upon this occasion
he proceeded there sad and depressed in spirit.
"Even here we are watched, you see, Chebron," Amuba
said as they rode along. "Do you see those runners behind
us? Doubtless they will follow us to the farm, and set a
watch upon us there. However, there, at least, they can
search as much as they like, and find out nothing."
CHAPTER XH
THE DEATH OF AMERES.
THE days passed slowly at the farm. The lads went
out listlessly to watch the cattle treading in the seed
and the other operations on the lands, but they were too
anxious as to what was going on in the city to feel the
slightest interest in the work of the farm. The second and
fourth days after their coming, Jethro had paid them a
short visit to say that there was no change in the situation.
The officer in command of some troops whom the king had


TERRIBLE NEWS.
201
he had run for the six intervening miles between the farm
and the city at the top of his speed.
"Quick, my lord 1" he said, "there is not a moment to
lose. The whole matter has been discovered, and ere long
they will be here in pursuit of you."
"What of my father?" Chebron exclaimed.
"I will tell you all about it afterwards, Chebron. There
is no time for talking now, his orders must be instantly
carried out. Where are the fellows who are spying over
you?"
"One of them is probably seated outside at the entrance
to the farm. You must have passed him as you entered,"
Amuba replied. "I have not seen more than one at a time
since they first came."
"Take up your arms and follow me," Jethro said, taking
a heavy staff from the corner of the room, and, followed by
the lads, he went outside the gate.
It was now getting dark, and as they passed out a man
standing near approached as if to see who they were. With-
out a word Jethro sprang forward and brought down the
staff with tremendous force upon his head, and he fell with-
out a cry upon the road.
"There is no fear of his giving the alarm," Jethro said
grimly, and set off in a run in the direction of the city at a
pace that taxed the powers of Chebron to keep up with.
Once or twice as he ran the boy gasped out a question as to
his father's safety, but Jethro did not appear to hear him
but kept on at a steady pace.
Presently he stopped suddenly and listened. A vague
confused sound was heard in front of them, and Jethro
quitted the road and took his course over the fields.
Amuba heard the sound increase, and was presently con-
scious that a crowd of people were passing along the road.
"It is well I managed to get through," Jethro said. "They
would have made short work of you both had they arrived
at the farm and found you unprepared."


204
A PLACE OF CONCEALMENT.
reception of bodies embalmed by other processes than that
of salt
Passing through a door at the rear the lads found them-
selves in the open air again. Above them the hill rose in a
precipitous rock. Chigron led the way along the foot of
this for some little distance, and then stopped at a portal
hewn in the rock itself. All this time he had carried a
lighted lamp, although the chambers in which the dead were
lying was illuminated with lamps hanging from the ceiling.
Upon entering the portal and closing the door behind him
he produced from a niche in the wall several other lamps,
lighted them, and gave one to each of his companions.
"This," he said, "was cut by a wealthy inhabitant of
Thebes centuries ago as a tomb for himself and his family.
What happened to him I know not, but the place was never
used beyond this chamber, which has been utilized for mum-
mies of sacred animals. Beyond in the main chamber every-
thing is as it was left by those who formed it There I have
during the last ten days privately stored up such articles as
would be necessary for you, and I trust that you will not
find yourself uncomfortable."
Upon entering the apartment, which was some twenty feet
square, they found that the embalmer had not exaggerated
what he had done. A table with several settles stood in the
middle, three couches piled with rushes were placed against
the wall . Mats had been laid down to cover the floor and give
warmth to the feet, and lamps ready for burning stood upon
the table. In a corner stood two jars of wine, with drinking
vessels.
"All is here except food," Chigron said. "That I could
not prepare until I knew you were coming; but be assured
that you shall be served regularly. There is no fear of
intrusion from any employed in the establishment They
have no occasion to come out to the back of the house, and
probably few know of the existence of this tomb. Should
I have any ground for believing that there is danger, I


"MY DEAR FATHER IS NO MORE?" 205
will take other measures for your concealment Should
you need anything, do not hesitate to say so. I owe my
position to the patronage of my lord Ameres, and there
is nothing I would not do to ensure the safety of his son.
And now, my lord, I will retire, and will presently send
you by a trusty servant the food of which I have no doubt
that you stand in need."
Chebron said a few words in thanks, but he was too
anxious and full of grief to say more. Directly Chigron
had left he turned to Jethro.
"Now, Jethro, tell me all; I am prepared for the worst
My dear father is no more? Is it not so?"
"It is too true, Chebron," Jethro replied. "Your noble
father has been killed by a base and cowardly mob urged on
by some villains of the priesthood."
Chebron threw himself down on one of the couches and
wept bitterly, while Amuba was almost as deeply affected,
for Ameres had behaved to him with the kindness of a
father. It was not until the following morning that Chebron
was sufficiently recovered to ask Jethro to relate to him the
details of his father's death.
"I was in the garden," Jethro began. "Mysa and Ruth
were in a boat on the pond, and I was towing them when I
heard a tumult at the gate. I pulled the boat ashore, and
hurried them up to the house and told Mysa to retire to her
apartment, and that she was not to leave it whatever noise
she might hear, that being her father's command. Then I
went out to the gate. Just as I got there it fell in, and a
crowd of people rushed through. As there were only myself
and two or three of the gardeners who had run up we could
do nothing to stop them. Just as they reached the house
your father came out into the portico and said, 'Good people,
what will you have?'
"Those in front of him were silent a moment, abashed by
his presence and the calm manner in which he spoke, but
others behind set up the cry 'Where is the sacred cat? We


206
THE SEARCH IN THE GARDEN.
will find it!' while others again shouted out 'Down with the
impious priest!' Ameres replied, 'You can search the place
if you will; though, indeed, it seems that you need not my
permission, seeing that you have taken the matter into your
own hands. Only I pray you enter not the house. There
are the ladies of my family and other women there, and I
swear to you that neither alive nor dead is the cat to be
found there.'
"The cry was raised, 'Let us search the garden!' In all
this it struck me that there were two parties among the mob
—the one ignorant and bigoted, believing really that an
offence had been committed against their gods; the other,
men who kept in the background, but who were the moving
spirits. I was not pleased when I saw the crowd so readily
abandon the idea of searching the house and scatter them-
selves over the garden, for it seemed to me that from one of
the gardeners or others they might have obtained some sort
of clue that might put them on the road to discovery. I saw
that several among the crowd had with them dogs trained
for the chase, and this made me more uneasy. I told one of
the men to run at once and summon the troops, and then
followed the crowd.
"I was the more uneasy to see that without wasting time
in searching elsewhere they made straight to the inclosure
where the animals were kept No sooner did they get there
than they began to search, urging on the dogs to assist them.
Suddenly I started, for there was a touch upon my shoulder,
and looking round I saw Ameres. 'Remember my instruc-
tions, Jethro,' he said in a quiet voice; 'I commit Chebron
to your charge.'
"'Oh, my lord!' I exclaimed, 'why are you here? The
troops are but a short distance away. Why do you not
place yourself under their protection V
"'Because I have done no wrong, Jethro,' he replied
calmly. 'I have not offended the gods, nor have I ever
wronged one of my countrymen. Why should I fly J'


THE MURDER OF AMERES.
207
"At this moment there was a yell of rage among the
crowd, and I knew that one of those accursed hounds must
have smelt the dead cat and scratched the earth from over
it . Then I heard a voice cry above the rest, 'Seel even now
the wounds are manifest; it has been pierced by an arrow,
even as I told you. The sacred cat has been slain!' Then
the crowd turned. 'Fly, Jethro,'Ameres said. 'It is my last
command.'
"But even then I could not obey him. There was death
in the eyes of those who were rushing towards him shouting
'Down with the despiser of the gods! Down with the slayer
of the sacred cat!' and seeing that, I rushed at them. After
that all was confusion. I had caught up a staff from the por-
tico as I passed, and with it I struck right and left. Many fell,
I know, before they closed with me . Blows were showered
upon me, and the staff then fell from my hands, but I fought
with my naked fists. Several times I was beaten down, but
each time I rose again. Then, as in a dream, I seemed to
hear your father's command, 'I commit Chebron to your
care,' and I burst my way through them and threw myself
upon a group standing further on, but I saw as I broke
through them that I could do nothing there.
"Your father lay on the ground looking as calm and
peaceful as when he had spoken to me but five minutes
before; but his white garments were stained with blood, and
the haft of a dagger stood up just over his heart. There was
no time to see more. His last commandment was to be
obeyed, and shaking off those who tried to hold me, and
evading the blows aimed at me with their knives, I fled. As
I rushed out through the gate I saw the troops I had sent
for coming towards the house. But they were too late now;
besides, some of my pursuers were close behind me, and so
without a pause I took the road to the farm. I think that is
all I have to tell you."
Chebron was weeping bitterly, and Amuba, who was him-
self deeply affected, went over to him.


208
"NAUGHT ELSB IS TALKED ABOUT."
"Console yourself, Chebron. I know what you are feeling
now, but do not blame yourself too greatly for this calamity.
You know what your father said—that it was but an acci-
dent, and that it was doubtless the will of the great God that
your arrow should fly as it did; and he himself declared that
he believed that all this was but the result of conspiracy, and
that, as we heard in the temple, there were men determined
to take his life."
A few minutes later the embalmer entered bringing them
food. He saw at once that Chebron had been informed of
the fate that had befallen his father.
"Have you heard aught of what is passing in the city?"
Amuba asked him.
"Yes," Chigron answered; "naught else is talked about
Many of those concerned in the deed escaped either by the
entrance before the soldiers arrived there, or over the walls;
but many were seized, and are now in prison for their sacri-
legious deed in raising their hand against the person of the
high-priest of Osiris. There were tumults in the city during
the night, many maintaining that the deed was well done,
others the contrary.
"Those who had been taken all declared that they had
been informed by one who said he knew it for certain that
the cat was buried in the inclosure, and that it had been slain
by you and my young lord here, as you had been seen going
with your bow and arrows to the inclosure and were there
for some time, after which the cat was never seen again. The
general opinion is that though the prisoners taken will be
punished—some with flogging, some with death—your lives
are also assuredly forfeited, and that even the friendship
of the king for your father would not avail to protect you,
for that he like others must obey the law, and that the law
of Egypt is that whosoever shall take the life of a cat shall
be slain."
"I am perfectly willing to die," Chebron said; "and my
greatest regret now is that I did not follow my first impulse


FAITHFUL TO HIS TRUST.
209
and denounce myself as the accidental killer of the cat No
blame could have then been attached to my father or to any
but myself."
"The disgrace would have fallen upon your whole family,"
the embalmer said; "for those nearly related to one who
performed an impious action must needs suffer with him.
Not that I blame you, Chebron; for I know that your father
did not do so. He told me when he arranged that I should,
if needs be, furnish you with a hiding-place, that although
you might need a refuge it would be for no fault of your own.
I do not understand how he could have said so, seeing the
terrible guilt of even accidently taking the life of a cat, and
specially of this cat, which was sacred above all others in the
land. Still I know your father's wisdom equalled his good-
ness; and although I own that I cannot understand his
saying, I am content to accept it, and will do all in my
power to save you. Doubtless the search after you will be
a hot one, but we must hope for the best"
"I will go out and see what is doing," Jethro said. "It
may be that it will be more safe to move away at once than
to remain here."
"In that case," the embalmer said, "you will need to be
disguised before you start It is known that Ameres had
two fair-skinned slaves, and that one of them was concerned
with my young lord here in the matter; also that the other,
after fighting furiously in the garden, and, as I heard, slay-
ing several of his master's enemies, managed to make his
escape. Fortunately I have the materials at hand. We use
paints and stains in abundance for the sere clothes of the
dead and the decorations of their coffins, and I can easily
make you as dark as any of our people. That, with one of
my wigs and Egyptian garments, will alter you so that, so
long as you do not look anyone fairly in the face, there will be
no fear whatever of your discovery; but you must not look
up, for even when I have blackened your lashes the lightness
of your eyes would at once betray you."
(481) o


EMBALMING.
211
the wealthy differing widely from that to which the bodies of
the poorer classes were submitted. There were many kinds
of embalming, varying according to the means of the family
of the deceased. The process employed for the wealthy
was a long and expensive one. First, an official called a
scribe marked on the side of the corpse where an aperture
should be made; this was cut by another person, who after
doing so fled, pursued with execrations and pelted with
stones, as although necessary the operation was considered
a dishonourable one and as an injury to a sacred body.
Through this aperture the embalmers removed the whole
of the internal organs, which, after being cleansed and em-
balmed in spices, were deposited in four vases, which were
subsequently placed in the tomb with the coffins. Each of
these vases contained the parts sacred to a separate deity.
The body was then filled with aromatic resin and spices, and
rubbed for thirty days with a mixture of the same in-
gredients. In the case of the very wealthy the whole body
was then gilt; in other cases only the face and portions of
the body. The skin of the mummy so preserved is found
to be of an olive colour, dry and flexible as if tanned;
the features are preserved and appear as during life, and
the teeth, hair of the head, and eyebrows are well pre-
served.
In some cases, instead of the aromatic resin, the bodies
were filled with bitumen; in others saltpetre was used, the
bodies being soaked in it for a long time and finally filled
with resin and bitumen. In the second quality of mummies,
those of persons of the middle class, the incision was not
made, but resin or bitumen was used and the bodies soaked
in salt for a long time. In the case of the poorer classes
the bodies were simply dipped into liquid pitch. None of
these, however, were treated in the establishment of Chigron,
who operated only upon the bodies of the wealthy.
After the preparation was complete the body passed from
the hands of the embalmers into those of another class who


212
THE TRIAL OF THE DEAD.
enveloped it in its coverings. These were linen bandages,
which in the case of the rich were sometimes a thousand
yards in length. It was then inclosed in a sort of case
fitting closely to the mummied body. This case was richly
painted, covered in front with a net-work of beads and
bugles arranged in a tasteful form, the face being overlaid
with thick gold-leaf and the eyes made of enamel. This
again was placed in other cases, sometimes three or four in
number, all similarly ornamented with painting and gilding,
and the whole inclosed in a sarcophagus or coffin of wood
or stone, profusely decorated with painting and sculpture.
It was then handed over to the family of the deceased, and
afterwards taken in solemn procession across the sacred lake,
followed by the mourning relatives throwing dust upon
their heads.
Every Egyptian city had a lake of this kind, either natural
or artificial. Notice was given beforehand to the judges and
public of the day on which the funeral would take place, and
these assembled at the side of the lake, where the decorated
boat in readiness for the passage was lying. Before the coffin
could be placed upon the boat it was lawful for any person
present to bring forward his accusation against the deceased.
If it could be proved that he had led an evil life the judge
declared that the body was deprived of the accustomed
sepulture. If the accused failed to establish his charge he
was subject to the heaviest penalties. If there was no
accuser, or if the accusation was not proved the judge de-
clared the dead man innocent The body was placed in the
boat and carried across the lake, and then either taken to
the family catacombs or to the room specially prepared for
its reception in the house of the deceased.
The greatest grief and shame were felt by the family of
those deprived of the right of sepulture, for they believed
that thereby he was excluded from the mansions of the
blest, and that in the course of the transmigrations through
which his spirit would pass before it again returned to a


THE FUTURE STATE.
213
human form, it might be condemned to inhabit the body of
an unclean animal.
As none from the lowest to the very highest rank could
escape the ordeal of public accusation after death, there
can be little doubt that this ceremony exercised a most
wholesome effect upon the life of the Egyptians, and was
most efficacious in repressing tyranny, cruelty, and vice of
all kinds among them. Even the most powerful kings were
restrained by the knowledge that should they give cause of
complaint to their subjects they were liable after death
to be accused and deprived of the right of lying in the
mighty tombs they had so carefully prepared for their
reception.
Chebron's brain, therefore, while he was watching the pro-
cess of embalming, was busy with thoughts and fancies as to
the future of the spirit that had inhabited the body he looked
at Had it already passed into the body of some animal?
Was it still disconnected and searching for an abode?
Through what changes would it pass and how long would
be the time before it returned to this human tenement?
For the three thousand years was believed to be the
shortest period of transition through the various changes
in the case of the man of the purest and most blameless
life, while in other cases the period was vastly extended.
As Amuba was not gifted with a strong imagination, and
saw in the whole matter merely the preservation of a body
which in his opinion had much better have been either
buried or placed on a funeral pile and destroyed by fire,
these visits to the embalmers had constituted the most un-
pleasant part of his duties as Chebron's companion.
Jethro had anticipated when he left that his visit to the
city would be of short duration, and that he should return
in an hour at the latest; but as the day passed and night
fell without his return the lads became exceedingly anxious
and feared that something serious had taken place to detain
him. Either his disguise had been detected and he had


214
JETHRO'S PROLONGED ABSENCE.
been seized by the populace, or some other great misfortune
must have befallen him.
It had been arranged indeed that they should that night
have started upon their journey, and Jethro after his return
was to have made out a list of such articles as he deemed
necessary for their flight, and these Chigron had promised
to purchase for him. Their plans, however, were completely
upset by his non-appearance, and late in the afternoon
Chigron himself went down into the city to ascertain, if
he could, if Jethro had been discovered, for his name had
been associated with that of the boys. It was not believed
indeed that he had taken any actual part in the slaying of
the cat, but it was deemed certain from his close connection
with them, and his disappearance shortly before the time
they had suddenly left the farm, that he was in league with
them. Chigron returned with the news that so far as he
could learn nothing had been heard of Jethro.
No other subject was talked of in the city but the event
of the previous day, and the indignation of the people was
equally divided between the murderers of Ameres and the
slayers of the sacred cat . The boys were full of grief and
perplexity. To Amuba Jethro had taken the place of an
elder brother. He had cheered him in the darkest moment
of his life and had been his friend and companion ever since,
and the thought that ill might have befallen him filled him
with sorrow. With this was mingled an intense anxiety as
to the future. Without Jethro's strong arm and advice how
was this terrible journey to be accomplished?
Chebron was in no state either to act or plan. A deep
depression had seized upon him; he cared not whether he
escaped or not, and would indeed have hailed detection
and death as boons. Intense, therefore, was Amuba's relief
when late in the evening a footstep was heard in the outer
chamber, and Jethro entered. He sprang to his feet with a
cry of gladness.
"Oh, Jethro! thank the gods you have returned. I have


"MYSA HAS BEEN CARRIED OFF."
215
suffered terribly on your account What has happened to
you, and so long delayed your return here?"
"There is fresh trouble," Jethro replied in a stern voice.
"Fresh trouble, Jethro? In what way?" And even
Chebron, who had scarcely sat up languidly on his couch
on Jethro's entrance, looked up with some interest for
Jethro's answer.
"Mysa has been carried off," he replied grimly.
Chebron sprang to his feet He was devoted to his sister,
and for a moment this new calamity effaced the remem-
brance of those which had preceded it
"Mysa carried off!" he exclaimed at the same moment as
Amuba. "Who has done it?—when was it done?—how
did you learn it?" were questions which broke quickly from
the lads.
"On leaving here I went as arranged down into the city,"
Jethro replied. "There was no difficulty in learning what
there was to learn, for all business seemed suspended and
the streets were full of groups of people talking over the
events of yesterday. The whole city is shaken by the fact
that two such terrible acts of sacrilege as the slaying of the
sacred cat of Bubastes and the murder of a high-priest of
Osiris should have taken place within so short a time of
each other. All prophesy that some terrible calamity will
befall the land, and that the offended gods will in some way
wreak their vengeance upon it A royal order has been
issued enjoining all men to search for and arrest every
person concerned in the murder of Ameres, and doubtless
the severest penalties will be dealt to them. The same
decree orders your arrest wherever found, and enjoins upon
all officials throughout the kingdom to keep a strict watch
in the towns and villages, to examine any strangers who
may present themselves, and to send hither bound in chains
all young men who may fail to give a satisfactory account
of themselves. Sacrifices will be offered up at all the temples
throughout the land to appease the wrath of the gods.


216
A SERIES OF CALAMITIES.
Messengers have been despatched in all directions in the
provinces, and all seemed to consider it certain that in a
few hours our hiding-place would be discovered. All made
sure that we had made either for the sea-coast or the desert,
on one side or the other, and as the messengers would reach
the coast long before we could do so, it was considered im-
possible for us to get through unnoticed
.
"Then I went to the house, not intending to go in but
simply to see if those in the neighbourhood had heard any
further news. The gates were open, and quite a crowd of
people were passing in and out to gratify their curiosity by
gazing on the scene. Relying upon my disguise I went in
with the rest None entered the house, for a guard of
soldiers had been stationed there. I passed round at the
back and presently Lyptis the old female slave came out to
fetch water. I spoke to her in my assumed character, but
she only shook her head and made no reply. Then be-
lieving that she, like all the others in the house, was at-
tached to the family and could be trusted, I spoke to her in
my natural voice, and she at once knew me. I made a sign
to her to be silent and withdrew with her alone to some
bushes. The tears were streaming down her face.
"'Oh, Jethro!' she exclaimed, 'did the gods ever before
hurl such calamities upon a household? My dear master is
dead; my lord, Chebron, is hunted for as men hunt for a
wild beast; my dear young mistress, Mysa, is missing!'
"'Missing!' I exclaimed. 'What do you mean?'
"'Have you not heard it?' she said.
'"I have heard nothing!' I cried. 'Tell me all!'
"' Just after the gates were beaten down and the crowd
rushed along into the garden, four men burst into the house
and ran from chamber to chamber until they entered that
of my young mistress. We heard a scream, and a moment
later they came out again bearing a figure enveloped in a
wrapping. We strove to stop them, but there were nought
but women in the house. They struck two of us to the


"RUTH HAS GONE."
217
ground, and rushed out Some of us ran out into the garden
crying for aid, but there we saw a terrible scene. A great
struggle was going on, and presently you broke forth, covered
with blood and wounds, and ran swiftly past None heeded
us or our cries.
"'When the soldiers arrived we told the officer what
had happened; but it was too late then, and nothing could
be done. Had there been a guard over the house all these
things would never have happened.'
"I asked her if she could describe to me the appearance
of the men. She said that they were attired as respectable
citizens, but that from their language and manner she be-
lieved that they were ruffians of the lowest class.
"For a time I was so overwhelmed with this news that I
could think of nothing, but went out and roamed through
the streets. At last I bethought me of the girl Ruth. She
was with Mysa at the time, and might, if questioned, be
able to tell me more than the old woman had done. I
therefore returned, but had to wait for three hours before
old Lyptis came out again.
"'I want to speak to Ruth,' I said. 'Send her out to me.'
"'Ruth has gone,' she said.
"' Gone!' I repeated. 'Where and whither?'
"' That we know not It was not until hours after Mysa
was carried off that anyone thought of her. We were too
overwhelmed with grief at the death of our dear lord and
the loss of Mysa to give a thought to the young Israelite.
Then one asked, where was she? No one had noticed her.
We went to Mysa's chamber, thinking that the villains who
carried our young mistress off might have slain her; but
there were no signs of her there.'
'"But she was with Mysa, was she not,' I asked, 'when
the attack was made? Did she not pass in with her when
she came in from the garden?'
"'Yes,' she replied, 'they came in together and passed
through us; for we were gathered in the front chamber,


218
A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.
being greatly frightened at the clamour at the gate. As
they passed us our young mistress said, 'Keep silent, what
18 the use of screaming and crying?'"
"I asked if she was sure Ruth was not carried off as well
as Mysa.
"' Quite sure,' she said. 'One bore a figure and the other
three cleared the way.'
"'And that was the last time,' I asked, 'that any of you
saw the Israelite?'
'"It was,' she answered. 'She must have passed out by
the door at the end of the passage, which she might well
have done without being observed by any of us.'
"This was a new mystery. Why Ruth should have fled
I could not guess, because as soon as the soldiers appeared
there was no more danger in remaining. Besides, I did not
think Ruth was one to shrink from danger. However, there
was no more to be learned, and I again went out into the
streets."
CHAPTER XIIL
THE SEARCH FOR MYSA.
PERHAPS Ruth had gone to tell my mother that Mysa
was lost," Chebron suggested, when Jethro had gone so
far in his story.
"That" could hardly have been," Jethro replied, "for I
should have told you that your mother returned early this
morning to the house with many relatives, and that all were
weeping and mourning round the body of your father. Had
Ruth gone to her, she would either have returned with her,
or Lyptis would have heard where she was."
"Did you hear how my mother bore her misfortunes,
Jethro?"


A CHANGE OF PLANS.
219
"She was overwhelmed with grief, Lyptis said, at youi
father's death—so overwhelmed that she seemed to have no
thought for anything else. She had, of course, been told
the night before that Mysa was missing; but it seemed to
make no impression upon her. She only said that doubtless
friends had carried her off to save her from the danger that
Chebron's wickedness had brought upon us all . This morn-
ing she made some further inquiries, but did not seem in
any serious alarm; but the magistrates, when they came
last night to inquire into the whole matter, took note of
Mysa having been carried off, and when on their coming
again this morning they found that nothing had been heard
of her, gave orders that a search should be made for her,
and a proclamation was issued this afternoon denouncing
punishment on those who carried her off, and enjoining all
who could give any information on the subject to present
themselves before them immediately.
"Since I came out from the house I have been wandering
about trying to think what is best to be done, and hoping
that something might occur to me which would put me
upon the track of the villains who carried Mysa off"
"You do not think of carrying out our plans for to-mor-
row, Jethro?" Chebron asked anxiously. "We could never
go away from here in ignorance of what had become of her."
"Certainly not, Chebron. I consider it my duty, as well
as my inclination, to stay here until she is found. Your
father spoke to me of her as well as of you, but as he did
not see any way in which we could aid her he said that she
must take her chance—meaning, take her chance under the
guardianship of your mother to obtain some day a husband
whom she could love. But the present misfortune entirely
alters the case. She has need of our active help, and what-
ever are the risks we must postpone our start
.
"Whether you will be able to stay here or not is doubtful.
Each day that passes without news being received of your
capture in the provinces north of us, will increase the belief


220
amuba's conclusions.
that you are hiding somewhere in the neighbourhood of the
city, and in that case the search will become more and more
earnest However, for a day or two we may be safe here.
As to that, however, we must abide by Chigron's opinion.
He is running no small risk in concealing us here, and if he
considers the danger is becoming greater than he is willing
to run, we must betake ourselves to the hills. There are
lonely spots there where we could lie concealed for a long
time, or, at least, as long as such supplies of food and water
as we could carry with us hold out But, at any rate, we
must set aside all thought of flight for the present, and de-
vote all our energies to the discovery and rescue of Mysa."
"I do not think we have far to look for the contrivers of
the outrage," Amuba said. "It seems to me that it is of
a piece with the whole of the misfortunes that have befallen
us. We know that Ameres refused the request of Ptylus
for Mysa as a wife for his son. After that came the plot
which we overheard in the temple for the murder of some-
one. The knowledge that they were overheard put a stop
to that scheme. Then came the stirring up of the people,
partly by the story of that unfortunate cat, partly by whispers
that Ameres, although high-priest of Osiris, was yet a scorner
of the gods. Then came the attack upon the house, in which,
while the main body of the mob attacked Ameres, a chosen
band carried off Mysa.
"This villain, Ptylus, had several motives to spur him
on. In the first place, there was anger at the rejection of
his son's suit; next, that he would, at the death of Ameres,
naturally succeed to the high-priesthood; thirdly, he may
have thought that if he could obtain possession of Mysa
and marry her to his son, she would bring with her no
small portion of her father's lands as a dowry. With the
influence which he, as high-priest, would have with the king
and council he could rely upon her obtaining a share of the
estate, especially as the villain would calculate that Chebron
as well as his father would be put out of the way.


222
chigron's plan.
someone; in the second place, the cave would scarcely escape
search a second time. Were it not for my workmen I could
conceal you in the house; and if I saw men in search of you
approaching I could place you in one of the inner casings of
the mummies, and put two or three more casings on. Then,
lying as you would be among a number of corpses in a simi-
lar state of advancement towards burial, none would think
of opening the cases.
"But with so many people about it would be well-nigh
impossible to do this without observation—unless, indeed,
the search was made at night or after the workmen had
departed, which would hardly be likely to happen. There-
fore I think it impossible for you to stay here more than
another day or two; but there are many caves and burial-
places higher up on the hill-side where you might be con-
cealed. In many of these there are sarcophagi. If we
choose one in which there are several coffins I can remove
the mummies and their casings into another cave, so that,
should a party of searchers approach the place, you can lie
down in the sarcophagus and lower the lid down upon
you."
"It would be sacrilege to move the dead," Chebron said
with a shudder.
"It would be sacrilege for others," Chigron replied, "but
not to us, whose business and duty it is to handle the dead
.
I can replace the mummies in their cases after you have
left, and they will be none the worse for their temporary
removal. It will be necessary, of course, that there should
be no signs of habitation in the cave—nothing to excite
their suspicions that it has been disturbed."
"I think that is a very good plan," Jethro said. "We
can make sleeping-places in the open air near. We shall
sleep in the open air on our journey, and it would be no
hardship to begin at once. I should think it best to remove
to one of these caves at once. There is never any saying
when the searchers may be here again; therefore if you will,


WHERE IS RUTHt
223
Chigron, I will at early daybreak go with you, choose a
cave, and make our arrangements."
"I think, indeed, that that will be the best plan," the
embalmer agreed. "I will, of course, take care to bring
you up every night a store of provisions. And now I will
leave you to sleep."
It was long, however, before the occupants of the chamber
threw themselves upon their piles of rushes. Sometimes
they talked of Mysa, and discussed all possible plans for
discovering where she was concealed. Then they wondered
what had become of Ruth, who would be friendless in the
great city, and might not have money sufficient to buy a
meal with her.
"She had her ornaments," Jethro said; "a silver bracelet
that Mysa gave her she always wore. She had two silver
necklaces and ear-rings of her own. I should think they had
been handed down to her from her mother; they seemed
good and would fetch money. Ruth is a shrewd little maid;
for though but fifteen years old she has long been accus-
tomed to manage a house and look after her grandfather.
Why she has run away I cannot think, except that perhaps
from the noise and tumult she thought that all were going
to be killed. But even in that case she would probably
have found her way back by this morning, if not sooner."
"I cannot help thinking myself," Chebron said, "that she
has followed Mysa. Although she has not been here for
many months, I am sure that she was very fond of her."
"That she certainly was," Jethro said. "I often thought
when I was walking behind them that it was pretty to see
them together. Mysa knew so much more of everything;
and yet it was the Hebrew maid who gave her opinion most
decidedly, and Mysa listened to her as she talked in that
grave way of hers as if she had been an elder sister. And
you think she might have followed her? I hope that it
may have been so. But in that case the women must have
seen her."


224
A FRESH HIDING-PLACE.
"The women were scared out of their senses," Chebron
said, "and, I have no doubt, were screaming and wringing
their hands and attending to nothing else. If I could but
be sure that Ruth is with Mysa I should feel less anxious,
for I am certain she would be a comfort and support to her."
"She would, indeed," Jethro agreed. "And moreover I
should have greater hopes of finding where they are con-
cealed; for if it be possible to get away and to spread the
alarm I am sure that Ruth would seize the first opportunity
promptly."
It was but a short time after they lay down that Chigron
entered and said that morning was beginning to break
.
They at once rose and followed him. He led them along
the foot of the hill for some distance, and then turning
began to ascend at a spot where it sloped gradually. They
passed many tombs, partly erected with masonry and partly
cut out from the rock behind; and it was not until after
walking fully half an hour that he stopped before the
entrance of one of them.
"This is the one that I thought of as being suitable for
the purpose," he said. "It is one of the most lonely, and
there is little likelihood of any chance passer coming near
it In the second place, I know that the stone door which
rolls across the entrance has not been cemented in its place.
I know indeed to whom the tomb belongs. The last mummy
was placed here but a short time back; and the son of the
man then buried told me that he should not have it cemented
because his wife was grievously sick, and he feared would
shortly follow his father. Therefore there will be no diffi-
culty in effecting an entry. In the second place, there is
hard by a small tomb that was cut in the rock and then
left—the owners changing their minds and having a larger
tomb made lower down, the hill. As nothing beyond the
chamber and the narrow entrance were made, we can there hide
the mummies from this chamber and heap stones and earth
over the entrance, so that none would suspect its existence."








THE TOMB ON THE HILL.
225
"Nothing could be better," Jetb.ro said. "Let us set to
work and prepare it at once."
The stone across the entrance to the tomb, which was but
three feet high and of the same width, was pushed back
without difficulty and they entered. Four wooden sarco-
phagi stood there. Jethro aided Chigron in opening three
of these. The mummies in their cases were taken out, the
outer cases opened and replaced in the coffins after the
mummies with the inner cases had been removed from
them. These were then carried to the unfinished tomb fifty
yards away and there deposited. Stones were then piled
together so as to conceal the entrance, and the men re-
turned to the tomb.
"Here you will be perfectly safe," Chigron said. "You can
keep the stone rolled back unless you see anyone approach-
ing; and you would be sure to make out any considerable
number of searchers mounting the hillside long before they
reach you. Should you see them, you will of course close
the door, enter each of you one of the sarcophagi, lie down
in the inner case, close the lid of the sarcophagus, and place
the lid of the inner case over you. I think it unlikely in
the extreme that any search will be made for you, or at any
rate a search only of untenanted tombs. The fact of the
stone here being left uncemented is a mere accident pro-
bably known only to myself and its owner. It is only as
an extreme resource that you could need to take to these
hiding-places. As far as passers-by are concerned you might
remain outside altogether, but in that case you would run
some risk of being noticed. You may be sure that the hills
will be closely scanned, and if figures were seen moving
about here a party might set out to see whether these were
the fugitives so eagerly sought for. Therefore I say, during
the daytime keep yourselves concealed here. As soon as
it is dark you can of course issue out and pass the night
wherever you may think fit"
"We shall certainly follow your advice," Jethro said.
(481) F


226 "I WOULD HAVE DONE MORE IF I COULD."
"Undoubtedly the plan you propose is by far the safest
.
I cannot think that there is much chance of an earnest search
being made among the tombs, though likely enough they may
visit those which are open and empty; but as you say, they
would never dream of examining the tombs in use, as they
would naturally suppose that all were securely fastened.
In case of the very worst, there are the coffins for us to
betake ourselves to; and these, assuredly, no one would
think of examining."
"If you will come down," Chigron said, "as soon as it is
dark, I will give you provisions for some days, together with
the peasants' dresses I have prepared for you and the money
Ameres committed to my charge. It is not likely that any-
thing will occur to decide you to make a move suddenly,
but it is best that you should have everything in readiness
for so doing should the occasion possibly arise . I will come
up myself to-morrow night, if all is well an hour after sun-
set. I name the time exactly in order that if you sleep at
any distance away you can be here at that hour to meet
me; and now I leave you to the protection of the gods.
This evening I shall dismantle the chamber you have used
and remove all signs of its having been inhabited."
Chebron thanked the embalmer very earnestly for the
kindness he had shown them, the trouble he had taken, and
the risk he had run on their behalf.
"I would have done more if I could," Chigron said.
"Your father's son has the highest claims upon me, and were
it to half my fortune I would spend it to carry out the last
wishes that Ameres expressed to me."
As soon as the embalmer left them the three friends sat
down just within the entrance to the tomb, looking out over
the quiet city lying in the plain below them.
"I wish we had our peasant dresses," Chebron said, "that
we might go down with you and join in the search for
Mysa."
"It would be too dangerous," Jethro said decidedly.


"THAT MATTERS NOT AT ALL."
227
"Too many have seen you taking part in the services and
procession for you to have a chance of passing unnoticed
.
Amuba is less likely than you to be detected, and if his skin
was stained, his eyebrows blackened, and his head shaved,
he might manage to pass providing he walked with his eyes
fixed on the ground; but in that way he would not have
much chance of coming upon traces of Mysa.
"Any search you make must be at night I shall to-day
station myself near the house of Ptylus. I do not expect
to gain any information from gazing at the high wall which
surrounds it, but I will follow, as closely as I can without
attracting observation, all the slaves or servants who may
come out, especially if two issue forth together; I may then
catch a few words of their talk, and possibly gather some
clue to the mystery. Still I own that the chance is small,
and you must not look forward in any way to my returning
with news."
"I wish, Jethro," Chebron said, "that if possible you
would again go to our house, see the old woman, and get
her to bring out to you a suit of my priests' garments; with
these I could at night enter the temple, and wander un-
questioned through the chambers and courts. The nights
are dark now, and unless I pass close to a lamp none could
recognize me. We overheard one conversation of importance
there, and it may be that I could overhear another."
"There would be danger in the attempt," Jethro said
doubtfully.
"That matters not at all!" Chebron exclaimed impetuously.
"All this trouble has come upon us through me, and even
should there be some slight risk I would willingly face it;
but in truth I think there is no chance whatever of my
being recognized. See how often Amuba went there with
me, and though the nights were always moonlit we never
were once addressed, nor was it noticed that Amuba was
not one of the regular attendants of the temple, who alone
have a right to penetrate beyond the great courts."


228
amuba's plan.
"So be it then," Jethro said. "Then you shall explore
the temple, Amuba and I will search every cavern in the
hills. There are many great tombs behind the temple, and
just as we have selected such a hiding-place, Ptylus may
have chosen one as a place of concealment for Mysa. There
are many tombs there built by princes, nobles, and wealthy
priests for their reception after death which could be turned
into a comfortable dwelling. After we have spent some time
in searching there, we must, if unsuccessful, try further away.
Ptylus, no doubt, like Ameres, has country farms and resi-
dences, and she may be hidden in one of these."
"I believe myself," Amuba said, "that a better plan than
yours will be for us to establish a watch over Plexo. Pty-
lus has his duties and is no doubt fully occupied in securing
his election to the high-priesthood, but Plexo would most
probably go sometimes to see Mysa in her place of imprison-
ment; he will naturally be anxious to conciliate or frighten
her into giving her consent to marry him as soon as possible.
Therefore, if we can but watch him sufficiently closely he is
sure to lead us at last to her."
"That will certainly be the best way, Amuba. I did not
think of it before, but it is clearly the plan that promises
the best chance of success. We might search the country
for years without finding her; and although I wished to
keep up your hopes, I really despaired in my own mind.
But, as you say, if we follow Plexo, sooner or later he is
sure to bring us to her. But to do so we shall want many
disguises. I will think the matter over as I walk to-day,
and when I see Chigron this evening will beg him to get
the disguises that seem to him the best for us to use."
"As for me, Jethro," Chebron said, " I will visit the temple
of an evening, as I said. But long before midnight all will
be quiet there; so that will give me plenty of time for sleep,
and in the daytime I will work with you. Get me the
garb of a peasant woman. In such a dress and with a female
head-covering I could surely get myself up so that even


A LONG DAY.
229
those who know me best would pass by without suspicion.
Many women are taller than I am. The disguise would be
out of the question for Amuba, who is well nigh as tall as
you are, besides being wide and strong looking, but for me
it would do well."
"Yes, I think you could pass as a woman," Jethro agreed;
and certainly the more of us there are to watch this rascal
the better. But for myself I think that we are more likely
to succeed by night than by day. Plexo, too, has his duties
in the temple, and would be likely to pay his visits after dark
.
Then it would be a mere question of speed of foot, and
Amuba and I used to be trained in running, and it will be
a swift horse that will outpace us. And now I am going
down to the city. I feel more hopeful than I did, lads, and
for the first time begin to think that we have a chance of
discovering where the villains have carried Mysa."
The day passed slowly to Chebron and Amuba. They
would not show themselves outside the tomb, as Chigron
had earnestly begged them not to do so; besides there
were frequently people about on the hillside, for many came
daily to offer prayers at the tombs of their relatives. Still
they had much to talk of—the chances of finding Mysa; the
question with whom she should be placed if recovered; the
prospects of the long and adventurous journey which lay
before them. Amuba encouraged talk on all these points,
and started the conversation afresh whenever it dropped, for
he saw that the excitement concerning Mysa had done a
great deal for Chebron. It had weaned his thoughts from
the death of his father, and the consequences that had arisen
from his unfortunate shot; it had given him fresh subject for
thought, and had revived his spirits and interest in life.
Both lads were glad when, late in the afternoon, they saw
Jethro ascending the hill
.
"I have no news," he said, as he came up to them. "I
have been all day in the neighbourhood of the house of
Ptylus, and have followed all who came out two together


230
NO NEWS.
from it . I have overheard many scraps of conversation,
and one and all talked upon the same subject, the death of
Ameres and of the sacred cat, and the want of success in
the search for you. The fact of Mysa being carried off was
spoken of once or twice; but I was convinced by the manner
in which the slaves spoke to each other on the subject that
they had not the slightest idea that their master was con-
cerned in the matter, and they had assuredly no knowledge
whatever of her being in the house.
"Of course it is possible that she might be there without
its being generally known to all the slaves. Still you know
how things leak out in a household, and how everything
done by the master and mistress soon becomes public pro-
perty; and had anyone among them heard something un-
usual was going on, it would by this time have been known
to all the servants. I hardly thought that Ptylus would have
ventured to have her carried home, for he might suppose
that her mother's suspicions might be directed towards him
just as ours have been, and that if she made a complaint
against him a search of his house might be ordered; besides
there are too many servants there for a secret to be kept.
No, if a clue is to be obtained it will be in the temple or by
our following Plexo."
As soon as it was dark they descended the hill together.
Chebron had attired himself in the garments bearing the dis-
tinguishing marks of the priesthood that Jethro had brought
up with him, having obtained them from old Lyptis. When
near the house of the embalmer the lad stopped, and Jethro
went on and returned in half an hour with the various dis-
guises he had asked Chigron to obtain for him . All these,
with the exception of the scanty attire of two peasants, he
hid for the present in some bushes near the path, then he
rubbed Amuba's skin and his own with a fluid he had ob-
tained from Chigron; and after putting on the peasants'
clothes they took their way towards the house of Ptylus.
While Chebron went towards the temple, which was but


ON THE WATCH.
231
a short distance from the house, Jethro and Amuba sat down
by the wall close to the gate so that none could leave it
without their knowledge. But beyond servants and visitors
no one came out At ten o'clock they heard the bolts of
the gates fastened, but remained where they were until near
midnight, when Chebron joined them. He had spent the
time wandering from court to court of the temple, but be-
yond a solitary priest moving here and there replenishing
the lamps of the altars he had seen no one, and had been
himself entirely unnoticed. Amuba and Chebron were both
inclined to be dispirited at the want of success of their
watching, but Jethro chid them for their impatience.
"You do not suppose," he said, "that you are going to find
out a secret so well hidden by a few hours' watching. It
may be weeks before we succeed . To-morrow we will begin
our watch two or three hours before sundown. I am better
known to the servants at the house of Ptylus than you are,
as I have often taken messages there; besides in my disguise
I could not so well loiter about without attracting attention
as you could. I will, therefore, content myself with watch-
ing the northern road from the city upon the chance of his
taking that way, while you in your dress as peasants can
watch the house itself. You, Chebron, might sit down by
the wall fifty yards from the house on the north side, while
you, Amuba, had best keep on the other side of the road and
somewhat to the south of the gate. In this way you will
be within sight of each other and yet not together; solitary
figures are less likely to attract attention than two together,
for it is for two boys that people would be looking. As I
should scarcely know you myself now that your skins are
darkened, there is, I trust, small fear of others detecting
your disguise."
Accordingly the next day, three hours after noon, Amuba
and Chebron, disguised as peasants, went down to the house
of Ptylus and took their posts as arranged. Late in the
afternoon Amuba noticed that one of the slaves from the


232
"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"
house of Ptylus suddenly checked his walk as he passed
Chebron and gazed fixedly at him. Amuba left the spot
where he was standing and walked quickly in that direction.
The slave spoke to Chebron, who rose to his feet A moment
later the slave seized him. As they were struggling Amuba
ran up.
"Here is a find!" the slave exclaimed. "This is the
slayer of the sacred cat Aid me to drag him into the house
of my master."
But to his surprise Amuba sprang upon him and struck
him such a heavy blow in the face that he released his hold
of Chebron and staggered backwards.
"Run for your life !" Amuba exclaimed to his friend. "I
will take another route."
The slave, recovering from his blow, rushed at Amuba,
shouting at the top of his voice:
"Death to the insulters of the gods! Death to the slayers
of the sacred cat!"
But Amuba, who was now eighteen years of age, was at
once stronger and more active than the slave, whose easy
life in the household of the priest had unfitted him for such
a struggle. Springing back to avoid the grasp of his assail-
ant, Amuba struck him with all his strength in the face,
and as he reeled backwards repeated the blow, and the man
fell heavily to the ground. But several other people, at-
tracted by the conflict and the shouts of the slave, were
running up, and Amuba took to his heels at the top of his
speed. As he expected, the passers by paused to assist the
fallen man and to learn the cause of the fray before they
took up the pursuit, and he was nearly two hundred yards
away when he heard the cry again raised, "Death to the
slayer of the sacred cat!"
By this time he was alongside of Chebron, who had paused
to see the issue of the contest with the slave.
"Do you turn off, Chebron, and take a turning or two and
conceal yourself, and then make your way up to the hill. I


ashjba's flight.
233
will keep straight on for a while. 1 have more last than you
have and can outrun these fellows, never fear. Do as I tell
you," he said almost angrily, as he saw that Chebron hesi-
tated when they reached the next turning. "If we keep
together they will overtake us both."
Chebron hesitated no longer, but took the turning indi-
cated. Amuba slackened his speed now, judging correctly
that his pursuers if they saw they gained upon him would
not trouble themselves about his companion, of whose
identity they were probably still ignorant When, on look-
ing back, he saw that all had passed the turning, he again
quickened his speed. He was not afraid of being overtaken
by those behind him, but that he might meet other people
who, seeing the pursuit, would take him for a fugitive from
justice, and endeavour to stop him. One or two did indeed
make feeble attempts to do so, but did not care to grapple
in earnest with a powerful young man, evidently desperate,
and of whose crime they knew nothing.
As soon as he felt sure that Chebron was quite safe from
pursuit, he turned off from the road he was following and
struck across the country. A quarter of an hour's running
took him fairly beyond the villas and detached houses scat-
tered so thickly round Thebes. The ground here was closely
cultivated. It was intersected everywhere by channels con- /
veying the water needed for the irrigation of the crops. The
holdings were small, and in the centre of each stood a little
hut
Some of these were inhabited, but for the most part the
cultivators lived in the villages, using the huts only when it
was necessary to scare away the birds and keep a close watch
over their fruit In some of these patches the fruit-trees
were thick, and Amuba took advantage of the cover to turn
off at right angles to the course he had been pursuing, and
then shaping his course so as to keep in shelter of the trees,
ran until he arrived at a hut whose door stood open. A
glance within showed that it was not at present used by


234
A HOT CHASE.
the owner. He entered and closed the door behind him,
and then climbed up a ladder, and threw himself down on
some boards that lay on the rafters for the storage of fruit,
pulling the ladder up after him.
The last glimpse he had of his pursuers showed him that
they were fully four hundred yards behind him when he
turned off from the line he had been following, and he
would have kept on and trusted to his speed and endurance
to outrun them had he not been sure that many of the cul-
tivators whom he had passed in his flight, and who had
contented themselves with shouting threats at him for cross-
ing their land, would, on learning from his pursuers the
crime with which he was charged, join in the pursuit Thus
fresh runners would be constantly taking up the chase, and
he would eventually be run down; he therefore thought it
best to attempt to conceal himself until night fell
.
Scarcely had he thrown himself down when he heard
loud shouts rise close at hand, and had no doubt that some
labourer unobserved by him had noticed him enter the hut
He sprang down again from the loft, and seizing a stake
which with several others was standing in a corner, he
again sallied out As he did so he was suddenly grasped
.
Twisting himself free he saw a powerful Nubian armed with
a hoe. Without a moment's hesitation Amuba sprang at
him with his stake . The Nubian parried the blow with his
hoe, and in turn dealt a sweeping blow at the lad.
Amuba sprang back just in time, and before the negro
could recover his guard, struck him a heavy blow on the
wrist with his stake. The negro dropped his hoe uttering
a cry of pain and rage. Amuba followed up the blow on
the wrist with one on the ankle, and as the man fell, bounded
away again. But the negro's shouts had been heard, and
the pursuers were now but fifty yards away. Amuba saw
that their numbers had swollen considerably, and a doubt
as to his ability to escape them for the first time entered his
mind.


OVERTAKEN.
235
They were too close for any further attempts at conceal-
ment, and he had now only his speed to rely on. But he
had already run nearly three miles, while many of those
behind him were fresh, and he soon found that he could
not again widen the space between them. For another two
miles he still kept ahead, at first leaping the ditches
lightly and without a pause, but at last often landing in the
middle, and scrambling out with difficulty. He was becoming
completely exhausted now. Those who had at first taken up
the chase had long since abandoned it; but, as he had feared,
fresh men constantly joined the ranks of his pursuers. They
were but a few paces behind him when he found himself
again on the high road.
A few hundred yards away he saw a chariot approaching,
and feeling that further flight was hopeless he turned stake
in hand to face his pursuers, who were but a few paces be-
hind him. With cries of "Kill him!" "Death to the insulter
of the gods !" they rushed at him. Panting and breathless he
defended himself as best he could. But his guard was beaten
down, and blows were showered upon him.
He fell, but with a great effort struggled to his feet again;
his senses were fast deserting him now, but he was con-
scious that the chariot drew up beside him, scattering his
assailants right and left He heard a voice raised in tones
of indignant reproach, and then a renewal of the cries of
hatred. He felt strong arms round him; then he was lifted,
and for a time became unconscious.


236
"WHO ARE YOU?"
CHAPTER XIV.
A PRINCE OF EGYPT.
WHEN Amuba recovered his senses he was lying in a
heap at the bottom of the chariot. Two men were
standing in the car beside him. The one he supposed to be
the driver, the other the owner of the chariot.
In a few minutes the chariot turned off through a stately
gateway. The driver leapt down and closed the gates, and
then led the horses to the steps leading up to a splendid
mansion. The man beside him called out, and two or three
slaves ran down the steps. Then he was lifted out, carried
into the house, and laid upon a couch. A cup of wine was
placed to his lips, and after he had drunk a slave bathed
his head with cold water, and bandaged up the numerous
cuts from which blood was flowing.
This greatly refreshed him, and he raised himself on his
arm. An order was given, and the slaves left the apart-
ment, and Amuba looking up saw a tall and stately figure
standing before him. He recognized him at once, for he
had seen him following the king in one of the processions
among the princes of Egypt.
"Who are you? and is it true what those men whom I
found maltreating you averred, that you are the slayer of
the Cat of Bubastes?"
"My name is Amuba, my lord," the lad said striving to
stand upright, but his questioner signed to him to remain
seated. "I am a Rebu taken prisoner of war, and handed
as a slave to Ameres, high-priest of Osiris. I am not the
slayer of the cat, but it is true that I was present at its
death, and that it might just as well have been my arrow
that accidentally pierced it as that of him who did so."
"Then it was an accident," the noble said.


AMUBA QUESTIONED.
237
"It was wholly an accident, my lord. We fired at a
hawk that had been thinning the pet birds of my master's
daughter. One of the arrows struck a tree, and glancing
off entered the house in which the cat was kept and unfor-
tunately caused its death. We regretted the accident
bitterly, knowing how sacred was the animal in the sight of
the Egyptians."
"And not in your sight, young man? You are not yet a
follower of the gods of the Egyptians?"
"I am not, my lord," Amuba answered; "but at the same
time I would not upon any account have willfully done
aught to offend the religious opinions of others, although
I myself have not been taught to consider the life of a cat
as of more value than that of other animals."
"Then you worship the gods of your own people?"
Amuba was silent for a moment.
"I would answer frankly, my lord, and I hope that you
will not be displeased. Since I have come to Egypt I have
come to think that neither the gods of the Egyptians nor
the gods my fathers worshipped are the true gods. I be-
lieve that there is one great God over all, and that the
others are but as it were his attributes, which men worship
under the name of gods."
The Egyptian uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"Whence did you obtain such a belief as this?" he asked.
Amuba was silent.
"It must have been from Ameres himself," the noble
went on, seeing that the lad was reluctant to answer "I
knew him well, and also that he carried to an extreme the
knowledge he had gained. But how came it that he should
speak of such matters to you—a slave?"
"My master was good enough to make me a companion
and friend to his son rather than a servant to him," Amuba
replied, "partly because he thought that I should lead him to
a more active life, which he needed, for he was over studious;
partly because I had high rank in my own country, of


238
"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AMI"
which my father was the king. But he never spoke of this
matter until after the accident of the cat My friend Chebron
was utterly cast down at the sin that he thought he had
committed, and would at once have denounced himself,
preferring death to living with such a burden upon his
mind. Then his father, seeing that his whole life would
be embittered, and that he would probably be forced to fly
from Egypt and dwell in some other land, told him the
belief which he himself held . I believed this all the more
readily because I had heard much the same from an Israelite
maiden who served my master's daughter."
Again Amuba's listener uttered an exclamation of sur-
prise.
"I knew not," he said, after a pause, "that there was an
Israelite who still adhered to the religion of their ances-
tors?"
"The maiden told me that for the most part they had taken
to the worship of the Egyptians, and indeed, so far as she
knew, she was the last who clung to the old belief. She
had been brought up by a great-grandfather who had been
driven from his people and forced to dwell apart because he
reproached them for having forsaken their God, and he
instructed her in the faith he held, which was that there
was but one God over all the earth"
"Do you know who I am?" the noble asked abruptly.
"I know that you are one of the princes of the land, my
lord, for I have seen you in a procession following closely
behind the king with his sons and other princes."
"I also am an Israelite. It seems strange to you, doubt-
less," he went on, as Amuba started in astonishment at
hearing a prince of Egypt declare himself as belonging to
the hated race. "Many years ago, at the time I was an
infant, there was a great persecution of the Israelites, and
as is supposed my father and mother, fearing for my life,
placed me in a little cradle and set me afloat on the water.
It chanced—or was it chance or the will of God?—that the


"SHE CALLED ME MOSES."
239
water took me to the spot where the Princess Thermuthis,
the daughter of the then king, was bathing with her
maidena She had compassion upon me and adopted me,
and as I grew up I had all the rights and privileges of her
son, and rank, as you say, with the princes of Egypt . She
called me Moses; for that was the name, as it seems, that
was writ upon a piece of papyrus fastened to my cradle. I
was instructed in all the learning of the Egyptians, and
grew up as one of them. So I lived for many years, and had
almost forgotten that I was not one of them; but now—" and
here he stopped and began thoughtfully to pace up and
down the apartment
.
"What has become of the maiden of whom you spoke?"
he asked, suddenly stopping before Amuba.
"That I know not, my lord. Upon the day that Ameres
was murdered by the mob his little daughter was carried off,
and Ruth, for that is her name, has also been missing ever
since . It is for that reason we have lingered here, other-
wise we should have fled at once."
"You and the son of Ameres?"
"Yes, my lord, and another Rebu, one of my father's
warriors, who was a fellow-captive with me, and also slave
of Ameres. The high-priest had great confidence in him,
and committed to him the mission of aiding Chebron to
escape, and of conducting us if possible back to my own
land; but when we found that my young mistress was
missing we decided to remain to search for her."
"What will you do when you find her?"
"If we can rescue her from those who have carried her
away we shall hand her over to her mother, and then leave
the land as we had intended. Unless, indeed, you, my lord,
in your goodness, could obtain for Chebron a pardon for an
offence which was wholly accidental."
"That I can never do," Moses said. "This is wholly
beyond my power; the king himself could not withstand
the demand of the populace for his life. Until lately I


240
"MOSES ALSO HOLDS THE FAITH.
might have in some way aided you, but I have no longer
influence, and have myself fallen into disgrace at court."
After again pacing the apartment for some time, Moses
went on:
"If you find this little Israelite maiden tell her that she is
not the last of the Israelites who believes in the God of
Abraham, our ancestor; tell her that Moses also holds to
the faith. You again look surprised young man, and you
may well be so, seeing that I have from the days of my
infancy been separated from my people.
"But our priests keep accurate records of all things
connected with the countries and religion of the people
with whom we come in contact . Thus, then, it was easy
for me, who have access to all the stores of knowledge, to
examine the rolls recording the first coming of my people,
the rule of Joseph the great governor, the coming of his
relations here and their settlement in the country. Thus I
learned that they worshipped one God, whom they believed to
be the only God in the world. I have been interested
deeply in the learning of the priesthood, and have long seen
that behind all the forms and mysteries of the Egyptian
religion this central idea seemed to be hidden. None with
whom I have spoken acknowledged boldly that it was so;
but I heard reports that Ameres was bold enough to enter-
tain the idea that there was but one God, and that our far-
back ancestors, who had first worshipped him under the
various attributes they ascribed to him, came in course of
time to lose the truth altogether and to regard shadows as
substances. Therefore, I said to myself, I too will believe
in the one God worshipped by my forefathers, hoping that
in time it may be that I may learn more of him.
"Until the last two or three years I have been content to
live as one of the Egyptian princes; but of late my heart
has turned much to my oppressed people, and I have deter-
mined upon doing what I can to relieve their burden. I
have even raised my voice in the council in their favour, and


"I SHALL TELL THEM THE TRUTH."
241
this has created a coldness between the court and myself.
They consider that I, having had the honour of adoption
into the royal family, should myself forget, and allow others
to forget, what they regard as my base origin. Sometimes
I own, that I myself wonder that I should feel so drawn
towards them, and even wish that I could forget my origin
and give my whole mind to the duties and pleasures of my
present rank; but I feel moved by a spirit stronger than my
own. But we must talk no longer, I see that you are now
stronger. Do you think that you can walk?"
"Oh, yes," Amuba replied, getting up and walking across
the apartment. "I have not lost much blood, and was only
dizzy from their blows."
"Then it is better that you should leave at once. The
people from whom I snatched you will have carried the news
speedily to the city, and officials will, doubtless, soon arrive
here to demand that you be given up to them. Take, there-
fore, another draught of wine and a piece of bread, I will
then give you in charge of a trusty slave who will lead you
through the garden and through a small door at the back,
and will guide you to any spot where you may wish to £>.
Even now, doubtless, a watch is being kept up in the front of
the house. When the officials arrive I shall tell them the
truth—that, coming, as I drove, upon a lad who was being
attacked and murdered by a number of brutal peasants, I
carried him off in my chariot. As to the shouts I heard, that
you were the slayer of the Cat of Bubastes, I regarded it as
an invention designed to hinder me from interfering on your
behalf; that I questioned you upon your arrival here, and
finding that, as I had supposed, you were entirely innocent
of the offence charged against you, I urged you to leave at
once, letting you depart by the garden gate in order to escape
the fury of your persecutors. As you are not an Israelite no
one can suppose that I could have any motive for shielding
an offender from the punishment of his crimes. Do not
thank me, for time presses, and you must be moving, so as
(481) q


242
AMUBA HELPLESS.
to be well away before it is known that you have left
May the God we both worship, though as yet in ignorance,
guide and preserve you and carry you and your friends
through the dangers that beset you."
Moses drew back the curtains from before the entrance to
the chamber and clapped his hands, and ordered the servant
who answered the call to tell Mephres to come to him. An
old slave speedily appeared, and Moses ordered him to take
Amuba out by the private way, and to guide him by quiet
roads back to the city. Then cutting short his guest's ex-
pressions of thanks for the great kindness he had rendered
him, he hurried him away, for he knew that at any moment
the officials might arrive from the city.
It was well that Amuba had been supplied with a guide,
for upon issuing into the night air—for by this time dark-
ness had fallen—he found that he could with difficulty
direct his steps; his head throbbed as if it would split from
the blows that had been dealt him, and every limb ached
.
The old slave, however, seeing that he stumbled as ho
walked, placed his staff in one of Amuba's hands, and taking
him firmly by the arm led him steadily on. It seemed to
the lad that he went on walking all night, and yet it was
less than an hour after starting when his conductor found
that he could go no further, and that he was wholly unable
to answer his questions as to whither he wished to be guided.
He determined to stop with him until he should be able
to proceed again. He therefore led Amuba aside into an
orchard, and there laid him down under the shelter of a
tree, covering him with one of his own garments.
"It is well for the lad that my lord arrived just when he
did," he said to himself as he sat down by the side of
Amuba and listened to his heavy breathing—for all in the
house had heard from the charioteer of the rescue of the
lad from the hands of furious peasants.
"He must have been very near death when he was saved
from their hands. Maxis said that his assailants shouted out


"I REMEMBER NOW."
243
that he was the slayer of the Cat of Bubastes about which
such a turmoil has been made. Had it been so I do not
think that my lord would have aided him thus to escape;
though for my part I care not if he had killed all the cats in
Egypt, seeing that in my native Libya we worship not the
gods of the Egyptians."
Several times during the night the old man got up and
plucked large handfuls of grass wet with dew and placed
them on Amuba's head, and when he perceived the first faint
gleam of morning in the sky he aroused him. Amuba sat
up, and looked round with an air of astonishment
"Where am II" he exclaimed.
"You are at present in an orchard, my young friend, though
to whom it may belong I know not; but finding that you
were unable to continue your journey I drew you aside here,
and you have slept well all night, and I hope feel better for
it, and able to proceed."
"I remember now," Amuba said; "it seemed to me that
I walked for hours leaning on your arm."
"It was but an hour," the slave replied; "we are not yet
two miles from my lord's house."
"And you have watched over me all night," Amuba said;
"for it was I know but an hour after sunset when we started
.
Truly I am deeply indebted to you for your kindness."
"Speak not of it," the old man replied. "My lord gave
you into my charge, and I cannot return until I can tell him
that you are in safety. But it you are able to walk we
must pass on, for there may be a search for you as soon as
it is light"
"I am perfectly able to go on," Amuba said; "thanks to
the wet grass I see you have been piling round my head, the
heat seems to have passed away and the throbbing to have
ceased."
Amuba was indeed now able to walk at a brisk pace.
""Which way do you want to go?" the slave asked him in
a short time. "It is getting light enough now for me to see


244
IN SHELTER AMONG THE HILLS.
your face, and it will never do for you to meet any one.
Your head is still swollen, and there are marks of bruises
and cuts all over the scalp. Your appearance will attract
attention at once, and if any saw you who had heard of last
evening's doings you would be at once suspected."
"I will make direct for the hills," Amuba said. "They
are not far distant, and I can easily conceal myself among
the rocks until sunset."
"Let us hurry on then," the slave said; "it is but half
an hour's walk. But as we may at any moment now meet
peasants going to their work, I will go on a-head, do you
follow a hundred yards behind me. If I see any one coming
I will lift my hand above my head, and do you at once step
aside from the road into the vineyard or orchard, and lie
there until they have passed."
Amuba followed these instructions, and it was more than
an hour before he reached the foot of the hills, so often did
he have to turn aside to avoid groups of peasants. At last
he reached the foot of the rugged ascent. Here he took
leave of his guide with many warm thanks for his kindness
and services, and with a message of gratitude to his lord.
Then Amuba ascended the hill for a short distance, and
laid himself down among some great boulders.
Although greatly refreshed by his night's rest he was still
weak and shaken, and felt altogether unequal to making his
way along the hills for the four miles which intervened be-
tween himself and the hiding-place of his friends among the
tombs above the city. He was soon asleep again, and the
sun was already some distance down the sky when he awoke.
He waited until it sank behind the brow of the hill above
him, and then climbing some distance higher made his way
along the hillside, having little fear that his figure would be
noticed now that the hillside was in shadow. Darkness had
just fallen when he arrived at the tomb they used as their
shelter. A figure was standing there in deep shadow. As
he turned the path and approached, it advanced to meet


amuba's return.
245
him. Then there was a cry of joy, and Jethro sprang for-
ward and clasped him in his arms.
"My dear Amuba, I never thought to see you in life
again!"
A moment later Chebron ran out, and in his turn embraced
Amuba.
"I shall never forgive you, and I shall never forgive my-
self," he said reproachfully. "What right had you to take
my danger upon yourself? It was wrong, Amuba; and I
have suffered horribly. Even though we are as brothers
why should you sacrifice yourself for me, especially when it
is my life and not yours that is forfeited. I told myself a
thousand times last night that I was base and cowardly in
allowing you and Jethro to risk your lives for me, when by
giving myself up the rage of the people will be satisfied, and
you could make your way out of this land without great
danger. It was bad enough that you should share my risk,
but when it comes to your taking it all upon your shoulders
that I should escape free, I can accept such sacrifice no
longer; and to-morrow I will go down and surrender my-
self."
Amuba was about to burst into remonstrance, when
Jethro touched him as a sign to be silent The Rebu knew
how acutely Chebron had suffered, and how he had spent
the night in tears and self-reproaches, and felt that it was
better to allow his present agitation to pass before arguing
with him.
"Are you hungry, Amuba? " he asked.
"That I am, Jethro. I had nothing save a mouthful of
bread since our meal here yesterday; and you will get no
news out of me until I have eaten and drunk." A meal of
cakes and cool fish and a draught of wine was soon taken;
and Amuba said, "Now I will tell you all about it"
"We know the first part," Jethro said. "When I re-
turned here yesterday evening I found Chebron almost be-
side himself with anxiety. He told me how he had been


246
JKTHRO PREPARED FOR A RESCUE.
discovered by one of the slaves of Ptylus who knew him
by sight; how you had attacked the slave, rescued him from
his hands, and then joined him in his flight; how you in-
sisted that you should separate; and how the pursuers had
all followed on your track, leaving him to return here un-
molested. He had been here upwards of two hours when
I arrived, and as the time had passed on without your
return he had become more and more anxious. Of course
I at once started out to gather news, and had the greatest
difficulty in persuading him to remain here, for he scorned
the idea of danger to himself from the search which would
be sure to be again actively set on foot. However, as I
pointed out it was necessary that if you returned you
should find somebody here, he at last agreed to remain.
"When I got into the town I found the whole city in the
streets. The news had come that the slayers of the cat had
been discovered; that one had escaped, but that the other
had been overtaken after a long chase; and that he had
been set upon, and would have been slain, as he well de-
served, had not one of the princes of the royal house arrived
and carried him off in his chariot. This news excited the
greatest surprise and indignation, and two officers of the
city had gone out to the prince's mansion, which was six
miles away from the city, to claim the fugitive and bring
him to the town, when he would be at once delivered to the
just anger of the populace.
"As soon as I learned this I started out along the road
by which they would return, and hurried on past the people
already gathered there. I had brought my sword with me,
and my intention was, that as the chariot returned with you
I would leap upon it, surprise and slay the officials, and drive
off with you; for I knew you would be able to take no part
in making the escape, as I had heard that you were already
insensible when carried off in the chariot. There were
groups of people all along the road with torches, but I
thought that a sudden surprise would probably be successful.


248
amuba's story.
been punished sufficiently. All agreed that no doubt the
whole affair would be investigated.
"I hurried back again with the news, and all night we
watched for you, and when morning came without your
arrival we were almost as anxious as before, fearing that you
had been too badly injured to rejoin us, and that to-day you
would almost certainly be recaptured. As the search for
Chebron would assuredly be actively carried out, I insisted
on his remaining quiet here while I made frequent journeys
down to the city for news; but beyond the certainty that
you had not been recaptured, although a diligent search had
been made for you as well as for Chebron, I learned nothing.
Now, Amuba, I have relieved you of the necessity for much
talk; you have only to fill in the gaps of the story, and to
tell us how it was that you persuaded this Egyptian prince
of your innocence."
"It is rather a long story, Jethro; but now that I have
had a meal I feel strong enough to talk all night, for I have
had nearly twenty-four hours sleep. First, I will tell Cheb-
ron that when I took the pursuers off his track I had no idea
of sacrificing myself, for I made sure that I should be able
to outrun them, and I should have done so easily, had it not
been for fresh people constantly taking up the pursuit and
at last running me down."
Amuba then related the whole story of his flight, his
attack with the peasants and his rescue, and then recited the
whole of his conversation with his rescuer, and his proceed-
ings after leaving his house. "So you see," he concluded,
"that strangely enough it was the teaching of your father,
Chebron, and the tale that Ruth told us, and that her grand-
father before told you, of the God of their forefathers, that
saved my life. Had it not been that this prince of Israel it-
ish birth also believed in one God, it could hardly be that
he would have saved me from the vengeance of the people,
for as he says he is in disfavour with the king, and his con-
duct in allowing me to go free merely on my own assertion


FRESH DISGUISES.
249
of my innocence is likely to do him further harm. This he
would assuredly never have risked had it not been for the
tie between us of a common faith in one great God."
"It is a strange story," Jethro said when Amuba brought
his narrative to a conclusion, "and you have had a mar-
vellous escape. Had it not been for the arrival of this
prince upon the spot at the very moment you must have
been killed. Had he not have been of a compassionate
nature, he would never, in the first place, have interfered on
your behalf; and had it not been for your common faith, he
would have held you until the officials arrived to claim you.
Then, too, you were fortunate, indeed, in the kindness of
your guide; for evidently had it not been for your long rest,
and the steps he took to reduce the heat of your wounds,
you must have fallen into the hands of the searchers this
morning. Above all, I consider it extraordinary that you
should at the critical moment have been rescued by perhaps
the one man in Egypt who would have had the will and the
courage to save you."
Upon the following morning Jethro and Amuba succeeded
with some difficulty in dissuading Chebron from his deter-
mination to give himself up, the argument that had the
most powerful effect being that by so doing he would be
disobeying the last orders of his father. It was resolved
that in future as a better disguise he should be attired as
a woman, and that the watch upon the house of Ptylus
should be recommenced; but that they should station them-
selves further away. It was thought, indeed, that the search
in that neighbourhood was likely to be less rigorous than
elsewhere, as it would not be thought probable that the
fugitives would return to a spot where they had been recog-
nized. Amuba's disguise was completely altered . He was
still in the dress of a peasant, but, by means of pigments
obtained from Chigron, Jethro so transformed him as to
give him, to a casual observer, the appearance of advanced
yeara


252
POSTED ON THE HILLS.
and it was therefore certain that he had turned off from the
main road either to the right or left at some point between
the post of Jethro and that of Amuba. When this was
determined they agreed, after a consultation, not to return to
their hiding-places near Thebes that night, but to lie down
under some trees by the road-side until morning broke, and
then to examine the road carefully. It was not likely that
another chariot would pass before morning, and they might
be able to follow the tracks along the dusty road.
In this way they discovered the road where he had turned
off; but beyond this the tracks did not show, as the road
was hard and almost free from dust . It lay, as they ex-
pected, towards the hills; but there were so many country
mansions of the wealthy classes dotted about, and so many
cross-roads leading to these and to the farm-houses of the
cultivators, that they felt they were still far from attaining
the object of their search.
After some discussion it was agreed that they should
ascend the hills and remain there during the day, and that
Jethro should return to the town as soon as it became dark
to obtain a store of provisions sufficient to last them for
a week . This was done, and the next day they separated
at dawn and took up their places on the hills at a distance
of about a mile apart, choosing spots where they commanded
a view over the valley, and arranging to meet at a central
point when night came on.
CHAPTER XV.
AMERES IS REVENGED
SIX days passed without their watch being rewarded;
then Chebron, whose post was just opposite the road
where they had traced the wheels, saw a chariot turn from


TRACKED TO THE HIDING-PLACE. 253
the main road into it As many others had taken that
course every day he did not at first feel very hopeful,
although the time precisely tallied with that at which Plexo
should have arrived had he started at the same hour as
before. As it came near, however, he became convinced
that it was the vehicle he was looking for. The horses
tallied in colour with those of Plexo, and the colour of his
dress could even at that distance be distinguished. This
time, however, he was not accompanied by a servant, but
by a figure the whiteness of whose garment showed him
also to be a priest "That must be Ptylus," he said to
himself, "my father's murderer. Would I were down by
the edge of the road, with my bow and arrows; high-priest
as he has now become, I would send an arrow through his
heart!"
The chariot turned off by the road parallel to that which
had been followed from Thebes, and so close to the foot of
the hills that from Chebron's post he could no longer see it
As soon as it was out of sight he leapt to his feet and hur-
ried along the hills to join Amuba, whose post was next to
his own. He found his friend had already gone on, and he
hurried breathlessly on until he reached Jethro, who had
been joined by Amuba a few minutes before.
"Have you seen them?" he exclaimed.
"I have seen them and marked them down," Jethro re-
plied. "You see that roof among those trees at the foot of
the hill half a mile further along. They turned off the road
and entered these trees. Our search is over at last"
"What had we better do, Jethro? Wait until they have
left again, and then go down?"
"No," Jethro said sternly. "There are two things to be
done—the one is to rescue Mysa; the other to punish the
murderer of Ameres. But even did we determine to delay
our vengeance I should say we must still press on. You
saw that arch-villain Ptylus is with his son. He has assuredly
come for some purpose; probably he may intend to terrify


254
"WE WILL PUSH ON AT ONCE."
the girl until he drives her into taking some solemn oath
that she will accept Plexo as her husband. What can a girl
of that age do in the hands of unscrupulous villains like
these. It may be that this fox Plexo has been trying flat-
tery; and, finding that fail, has called in Ptylus, who can
threaten her with the anger of these gods of hers, to say
nothing of perpetual imprisonment and harsh treatment.
We will therefore push on at once. Amuba and I carry our
stout peasant staves, while you, Chebron, have your dagger
concealed under that female dress. We shall have all the
advantage of surprise in our favour. It is not likely that
there are more than one or two men there, with perhaps a
female servant . Ptylus would not wish the secret to be
known to more than was absolutely necessary. Of course
it is possible that the four men who carried her off may all
be on guard there, but if so, it makes but six; and what
with the surprise, and what with their not knowing how
numerous we are, that number should not be more than
sufficient for us to dispose of without difficulty. At any
rate were there twenty I would not hesitate; honest men
need never fear an encounter with rogues."
"Especially," Amuba said, "when the honest men pos-
sess such sinews as yours, Jethro, and a good heavy cudgel
in their hands."
Jethro smiled, but was in too earnest a mood to answer,
and at once led the way along the hillside until imme-
diately behind the house among the trees; then they de-
scended, climbing with some difficulty over the wall surround-
ing the wood, and entered the inclosure. Treading as lightly
as possible Jethro and his companions passed through the
wood and made their way up to the house. It was small
but handsomely built, and was surrounded with a colonnade
supported by carved pillars. The garden immediately
around it was evidently carefully tended, and the house, from
its secluded position, was well fitted as a place of sojourn
for a wealthy priest or noble desirous of a few days' rest


"don't listen to him, mysa." 255
and retirement from the bustle of the great city. As
all were barefooted they passed across the garden to the
colonnade without the slightest sound. As they reached it
Jethro held up his hand for them to stop, for the sound of
voices came through the wide doorway of an apartment
opening out to the colonnade. Both Chebron and Amuba
at once recognised the voice of Ptylus.
"I will put up with no more of this folly, Mysa. You
should think yourself fortunate in the extreme, in the posi-
tion in which you are, belonging to a disgraced family, to
receive such an offer as my son makes to you. I will have
an answer at once. You will either swear before the gods
that you accept Plexo as your future husband, that you will
reply to all who question you that you have been staying
here by your own free will, and that you remained in con-
cealment simply because you were overwhelmed with horror
at the terrible act of sacrilege committed by your brother,
or you will this night be confined in a tomb, where you will
remain alone and without the light of day until you agree
to my conditions. You don't think, you little fool, that I,
Ptylus, high-priest of Osiris, am to be thwarted in my
plans by the opposition of a child like you."
Here a voice, which the three listeners recognized to their
surprise as that of Ruth, broke out:
"Do not listen to him, Mysa. Whatever comes of it
never consent to lie before God, as this wicked man would
have you. You call yourself a high-priest, sir. What must
be the worth of the gods you pretend to worship if they
suffer one like you to minister to them? Were they gods,
and not mere images of stone, they would strike you dead
at the altar."
A furious exclamation broke from Ptylus, and he stepped
forward and seized the Hebrew girl roughly by the shoulder,
only to start back with another exclamation as Ruth struck
him with her open hand, with all her force, on the cheek.
"Drag her hence, Plexo!" he exclaimed. But at this mo-


256
"I DARE TO EXECUTE HIM."
ment the entrance was darkened, and the three listeners
sprang into the room.
Ptylus had the courage that distinguished his race, and
although for a moment startled at the sudden entry he did
not recoil, but drawing a sword from his girdle he said
haughtily:
"Who are you, and what means this intrusion?"
"We are those whom you have been hunting to death,
Ptylus; and we come here as avengers of blood. As you
brought about the murder of Ameres, so you must die,—to
say nought of your offence in carrying off the daughter of
the man you slew."
Without a word Ptylus rushed upon Jethro with his sword,
thinking to make short work of this insolent peasant; but
as he did so, Jethro whirled his massive club round his head,
and catching the blow upon it, shivered the sword in pieces.
Ptylus dropped his arm, and, gazing steadily at his oppo-
nent, said:
"Wretch, do you dare to murder the high-priest of
Osiris!"
"No," Jethro said; "but I dare to execute him," and he
brought his heavy club down with all his strength upon the
head of the priest
At this moment Plexo, who had stolen unobserved from
the room the instant the others entered, returned, followed
by three armed men. Chebron and Amuba were so intent
upon the combat between Jethro and the priest, that they
did not notice the entrance of Plexo, who, with uplifted
knife, sprang upon Chebron.
There was a scream of warning, and quick as thought Ruth
sprang forward and pushed Plexo as he sprang through the
air. The sudden shock threw both to the ground. Ruth
sprang to her feet again, but Plexo lay there motionless.
The three armed men stood for a moment stupified at the
fall of their two employers, and then, seeing two men and a
woman, rushed forward to attack them. One sweeping


THE END OF THE ENCOUNTER.
257
blow with Jethro's staff felled the first of his assailants to
the ground; the others paused irresolute.
"Drop your weapons, or you are dead men!" Jethro ex-
claimed. "You are outnumbered; and if you move, you die!"
As Chebron had now thrown back his female robe and
drawn his dagger, and taken his place at the door, while
Jethro and Amuba were advancing against them, the two
men dropped their weapons.
"Hold out your hands," Jethro said. "My son, stand
over them with your club, and break the skull of either
who may move."
The men did as they were ordered. Jethro tore strips
of cloth off their garments, twisted them into ropes, and
bound their wrists firmly together. The meaning tone in
which Jethro had called Amuba his son had not escaped
either Amuba or Chebron, who saw that Jethro was desirous
of concealing their names. Mysa, who had raised a cry of
joy when Jethro first spoke, had sunk terrified upon a couch,
and had hidden her face in her hands during the short encoun-
ter; while Ruth had stood silent and vigilant beside her,
moving only when Plexo rushed at Chebron, and retiring
to Mysa's side again as soon as she had regained her feet
She, too, understood Jethro's motive in calling Amuba his
son, and stooping over Mysa she said:
"It is all over now, Mysa, but remain quiet at present
Do not speak until you see what is going to be done."
As soon as the men were tied, Jethro secured in the same
manner the man who was lying stunned from his blow. Then
he turned to Plexo, who had not moved since he had fallen.
He half turned him round, and uttered a low exclamation of
surprise.
"Gastrion," he said to Chebron, "go with the young lady
into the garden, and remain there until we join you."
Chebron passed out on to the colonnade, following Mysa
and Ruth. The moment they were unobserved Mysa threw
her arms round him, and burst into tears with joy.
(481) R


258
"PLEXO IS DEAD."
"Oh, Chebron!" she exclaimed, "you have arrived just in
time. I thought we were never going to get away from that
dreadful man; and I don't know what I should have done
if it hadn't been for Ruth. And, ohl they have been tell-
ing me such terrible things—but they can't be true—that
our dear father had been killed; and that it was you, Chebron,
who killed dear Paucis; but of course I did not believe them
—I knew it was all their wickedness."
"Never mind about that, dear," Chebron said; "we will
talk about all this afterwards. The first thing is to get
you away from this place. Jethro and Amuba will soon de-
cide what is best to be done. Are there any others in the
house?"
"There is one other man," Ruth replied, "and an old
woman; I think the other man is at the door with the
chariot"
"I had better tell Jethro," Chebron said, and he again
went into the room and told Jethro what he had heard.
"We will seize the woman first," Jethro said, "and then
go out round the house and come down from the other way
upon the chariot The man will have heard the outcry; and
if we came suddenly out of the door, might leap into the
chariot and drive off before we could overtake him. But if
we come upon it from behind we shall secure him."
"But you have forgotten to bind Plexo," Chebron said.
"Plexo is dead," Jethro replied. "As he fell his arm was
beneath him, and the knife with which he had intended to
strike you pierced his heart I am very glad that you ob-
served the way I spoke to Amuba. It was of the greatest
importance that the name should not be mentioned. This
affair will cause a tremendous excitement There is nothing
to connect us with Ptylus, and it may be supposed that it is
the work of some malefactors, who came down from the hills
in search of plunder. The fact that Mysa was here and
was carried away is not in itself any proof that we had a
hand in it, for Lybian robbers might well have carried her and


"YOU SAVED MY LIFE, RUTH."
259
Ruth away to make slaves of. Plexo caught but a glimpse
of us, and doubtless only rushed out and called to the men
to come to his father's assistance. At any rate let there be
no names mentioned. Now let us finish our work here."
The female servant was soon found and bound; then the
four prisoners were placed in different rooms, and fastened
securely to the wall or pillars.
"Never put two prisoners together," Jethro said; "always
remember that Tie one man up and you may keep him;
tie up two and they are sure to escape. They can bite
through each other's cords, or untie the knot with their
teeth, or possibly even with their fingers."
"Now, what is the next thing to do?" Amuba asked.
"The next thing is to have a consultation. Do you,
Chebron, go out into the garden to the girls. Amuba and I
will deal with the other man."
As soon as Jethro and Amuba had left him Chebron re-
joined the girls.
"You saved my life, Ruth I shall never forget it"
"You saved me from the crocodile, my lord. It was but
a push and he fell. I scarce know how it was done."
"Your quickness saved my life all the same, Ruth I had
not noticed him till you cried out, and then it would have
been too late. We have been anxious for you also, Ruth.
We hoped that you might be with Mysa, but none saw
you go out with her."
"My place was with my mistress," Ruth said quietly.
"And she was more than a mistress—she was as a friend
to me."
"But how came you here, Chebron I" Mysa again asked,
"and why are you dressed up like a peasant woman? It is
not seemly in any man, much less in you, a priest And
Amuba and Jethro, too; they are dressed as peasants, and
their faces seem changed, I do not know how. They look
darker, and I should not have known them had I not recog-
nized Jethro's voice."


260
UNITED.
"It is a long story, dear, and I will tell you all presently,
and we want to hear your story too. Ah! here come the
others. It is to them, Mysa, far more than to me that you
owe your rescue. I may know more of the learning of our
people, but I have none of the readiness and coolness of
Amuba, while Jethro is as prudent as he is brave. It would
have fared hardly with me as well as with you, Mysa, had
it not been for these good friends."
Mysa went up to them as they approached
.
"Oh, Jethro! I feel how much I owe to you; and to you,
Amuba. My courage had all but given way, although Ruth
strove so hard to give me hope, and I fear I could not have
long withstood the threats of that bad man. You cannot tell
what joy I felt when I recognized your voice."
"Our joy was as great in finding you as yours in seeing
us," Jethro replied. "Amuba and I would gladly have laid
down our lives for you. And now let us have a con-
sultation; there is much to decide upon and arrange. Let
us go round to the garden at the other side of the house.
There we can sit and talk, and at the same time keep watch
that no one else enters. It is not likely that any one will
do so, for the place is secluded, and none would know that
these men were here; still a peasant might enter to sell fowls
or fruit, therefore it were best to keep an eye upon the
eutrance."
They went round to some seats placed beneath trees on
the other side of the house. A fountain worked by the water
of a little rill on the hillside played in front of them, and a
few tame water-fowl swam in a shallow basin around it.
Everything was still and peaceful, and to Chebron it seemed
as if the events of the last three weeks had been a hideous
dream, and that they were again sitting in the garden of
their house at Thebes.
"Now, first of all," Mysa said, "I must have my questions
answered . How are my father and mother and everyone?"
Jethro took Amuba's arm and turned away. "We will


"THIS IS TOO DREADFUL!"
261
leave you, Chebron, to tell Mysa what has taken place. It
will be better for you to do so alone."
Ruth rose from her seat to leave also, but Mysa put her
hand on her arm.
"I am frightened, Ruth; stay with me."
"You told me, Mysa," Chebron began, "that they had
told you tales that our father was dead, and that it was I
who killed Paucis."
"Yes; but I did not believe them, Chebron. Of course
I did not for a moment—at least not for a moment about
you. But when I thought of those bad men at the gate, and
the crash we heard, and the noise of the people rushing in
shouting, I thought—I was afraid—that perhaps it might
be true about our father. But, oh, Chebron, surely it is
not so?"
"Alas! Mysa, it is true! They cruelly slew our father. I
wish I had been there to have fallen by his side; but you
know Amuba and I were away. Jethro fought desperately
to the last, and would have died with him had not our father
himself commanded that in case anything happened to him
he was to take charge of me, and to carry me out of the
land."
Mysa was crying bitterly now. Presently she looked up.
"But why should you want to leave the land, Chebron?
Surely—surely it is not true that you—"
The thing seemed too terrible for her to put into words.
"That I killed poor Paucis. That is true also, Mysa."
Mysa gave a little cry of horror.
"Oh, Ruth!" she cried, "this is too dreadful!"
Ruth put her arms round the sobbing girl. "You may
be sure, Mysa, that your brother did not do it intentionally."
"But it is all the same," Mysa cried. "It was the sacred
cat, you know—the Cat of Bubastes."
"It was, Mysa; and I thought at first, as you did, that al-
though it was the result of an accident the anger of the gods
would be poured out against me, that I was as one accursed,


262
"I SHOULD NEVER DO THAT!"
whose life was forfeited in this world, and whose spirit was
destined to dwell in unclean beasts after death. But when
I told my father all, he reassured me, and told me not to fear
in any way the wrath of the gods."
He then related to his sister the manner in which the cat
had been killed, the steps he and Amuba had taken to con-
ceal the body, and his avowal to his father of his fault.
"I see it was not your fault, Chebron. But you know the
laws of Egypt, and the punishment for killing even a com-
mon cat. How could our father say that the gods would not
be angry?"
"I cannot tell you all he said, Mysa; though some day
had I remained with you I might have done so. But he did
say so, and you know how wise and good he was. Therefore
I want you to remember what he said, so that when I am
gone you will not all your life think of me as one accursed."
"Oh! I should never do that!" Mysa exclaimed, starting
up and throwing her arms round her brother's neck. "How
could you think so? But why are you talking about going,
ind where are you going?"
"I am going, Mysa, because the people of Egypt do not
view this matter in the same light as my father, but are
hunting all the land to find and slay me and Amuba; for,
not knowing the exact truth, they put us down as equally
guilty. So we must fly. Our father gave full directions
to Jethro, and we should by this time have been a long
distance away had it not been that we stayed to find and
rescue you."
"Then if the other things they told me are true, Chebron,
it may be true too that the letter they showed me ordering
me to consent to marry Plexo was from my mother. How
could she tell me that when she knew that I hated him, and
she has over and over again spoken scornfully of his family
before me?"
"What did she say?" Chebron asked.
"She said that now disgrace had fallen on the family I


"HE DIED BY HIS OWN HAND."
263
might think myself very fortunate in obtaining such an
offer."
Chebron was silent. He knew that his mother had never
shown any earnest love either for Mysa or himself, that her
thoughts were entirely devoted to dress and entertainments,
and that any love she had to give had been bestowed upon
his brother.
"I fear it is true, Mysa."
"But I will never marry Plexo!" Mysa exclaimed passion-
ately. "My father always said I should never marry a man
I disliked."
"You will never marry Plexo, Mysa—he is dead."
Ruth uttered an exclamation.
"He died by his own hand, Ruth—that is, by an accident
As he fell his dagger pierced his own heart, and when Jethro
went to look at him he was dead."
"The Lord requited him for his evil," Ruth said firmly.
"All things are in his hands. As I did not mean to slay him, I
lament not over his death. Besides, he strove to take your life,
and had I had a dagger in my hand I should assuredly have
used it."
"Then what is to become of me?" Mysa asked.
"You must go back to your mother, Mysa. There is
nought else for you to do."
"I will not!" Mysa exclaimed. "She never loved me.
She would have married me against my will to Plexo, al-
though she knew he was bad, and that I hated him. She
would make me marry some one else who was rich, regardless
of my wishes. No, Chebron, nothing shall make me go back
to her."
Chebron looked perplexed.
"Here come Jethro and Amuba, dear. You had best
talk it over with them. I see nothing else for you to do."
As Jethro came up Mysa walked to meet him.
"I will not go back to my mother, Jethro 1" she exclaimed
impetuously. "She wanted me to marry Plexo. She would


mysa's determination.
265
tremendous journey, full of danger and fatigue. We are
going among unknown and savage peoples; the chances are
a hundred to one against our ever arriving at the end of our
journey. If this is so to myself and to young men like
Chebron and Amuba—for they are now past eighteen, and
will speedily be men—what chance would there be of success
with you with us?"
"I can walk as well as Chebron," Mysa said. "You know
that, Chebron. And I suppose I could suffer hardship just as
well. At any rate, I would rather suffer anything and be with
him and all of you than stop here. The people have murdered
my father. My mother would sell me to the highest bidder.
If the chances are so great that you will never get through
your journey in safety, my being with you cannot make
them so much greater. I have only Chebron in the world,
and I will go where he goes, and die where he dies. The
gods can protect me just as well on a journey as here. Have
they not protected you now, and Chebron too, by what he
says? You will take me with you, dear Jethro, won't you?"
she urged pleadingly. "You say my father wished you to
watch over me; do not forsake me now. Ruth will come
with us too—will you not, Ruth ?—I am sure she will not be
more afraid of the journey than I am."
"I will assuredly go if you go, Mysa. The God of Israel
can take us safely through all dangers if it be His will."
Jethro was silent Such an addition to his charge would
assuredly add immensely to the difficulties of the journey;
but on the other hand he remembered the anxiety of Ameres
about Mysa, and he asked himself what his late master
would have wished had he known how matters stood. He
glanced at Amuba and Chebron and saw at once that their
wishes agreed with those of Mysa. He turned away
abruptly, and for some minutes paced up and down the
garden. Then he returned to the group, among whom not
a word had been exchanged since he left them.
"Mysa," he said gravely, "this is a great thing that you


2G6
A SERIOUS UNDERTAKING.
ask; there is no disguising that your presence will add
greatly to our difficulties, will add also to our perils, and
may render it impossible for me to carry out your father's
wishes and to conduct Chebron to a land where he will be
beyond the persecution of Egypt Such an enterprise must
be undertaken in no light spirit If you go you must be
prepared to face death in all forms—by hunger and thirst
and the weapons of the wild natives. It may even be that
your lot may be that of slavery among them. It is a terrible
journey for men, more terrible still for women; still, if you
are resolved, resolved with the strength and mind of a
woman and not of a child, that after having once turned
your back upon Egypt you will never repent the step you
have taken or wish to return, but will be steadfast under
all the trials that may befall us, then I say that you shall
share our lot"
Mysa uttered an exclamation of joy.
"I promise, Jethro; and whatever may happen—hardship,
danger, or death—you shall never hear a word of complaint
from me. Are you not glad, Ruth?"
"I think it well," Ruth said gravely. "It is a great
undertaking; but I think that God's hand is in it I, too,
would fain leave this land of idols; and except those here
have none in the world to care for."
"And now, Jethro," Amuba said, "what had we best do?
It is already almost dark, therefore we could set out at once.
Could we make use of the chariot?"
Jethro considered for a short time.
"Except for carrying any things we may want for our
first start, I do not see that we can do so," he said; "for
where we leave the chariot to-morrow morning it would be
found, and when it is known that Ptylus' chariot was miss-
ing it would soon be recognized as his, and thus a clue be
afforded to the fact that we had fled south. As to travelling
in it beyond to-night, it would be out of the question.
Besides it will only hold three at the most No, if we use


THE DISPOSAL OF THE CHARIOT.
267
it at all it must be to drive north, and so throw them off the
scent . I think it will be worth doing that."
"I will undertake that part of the business," Amuba
said . "There will be much for you to do to-morrow, Jethro,
which only you can arrange. There's the boat to be hired,
stores laid in, and all got in readiness. I think the best
plan will be for you both to start at once with the girls for
Thebes. You and Chebron can occupy your hiding-place on
the hill, and Chigron will be glad to take the girls into his
house. There is no danger of an immediate search being
made for them.
"To-night when the priest and his son do not return
their servants will suppose that they have slept here. It
will not be until late to-morrow afternoon that there will
be any alarm or any likelihood of a messenger being sent
over here, then the consternation and confusion that will
be caused will be so great that probably no one will think
of carrying the news to the officials until the next morning.
Besides, until the story of Mysa's having been here and of her
being missing is generally known, there is no reason that what
has taken place should be attributed to us; therefore, for the
next eight-and-forty hours I think that they would be per-
fectly safe at the embalmer's. I will drive the chariot thirty
or forty miles north, then turn the horses loose where they
are sure to be noticed ere long, and will return on foot and
join you in your hiding-place to-morrow night."
"I think your plan is a very good one, Amuba. Before
we start I will make a search through the house. There will
be nothing we want to take with us, nor would we touch
any of the treasure of the villains were the house full of
it; but if I toss some of the things about it will look as if
robbery had been the motive of what has taken place.
The men in bonds can know nothing of the real state of
things. Plexo, when he rushed out for their aid, can have
had no time to do more than to tell them to take up their
arms and follow him; indeed, it is doubtful whether he him-


268
PREPARING A FALSE CLUE.
self had any idea that we were aught but what we seemed.
Therefore, the first impression assuredly will be that we
were malefactors of the worst kind, escaped slaves, men with
no respect for the gods; for assuredly no Egyptians, even
the worst of criminals, would, in cold blood, have laid hands
on the high-priest of Osiris."
"They laid hands on my father," Chebron said bitterly.
"Yes, but not in cold blood. Reports had first been
spread amongst them that he was untrue to the gods, and
then they were maddened by fanaticism and horror at the
death of that sacred cat. But in cold blood, as I said, no
Egyptian, however vile and criminal, would lift his hand
against a priest . You may as well come with me, Amuba,
it would be strange if one of us only took part in the
search."
In ten minutes Jethro and Amuba had turned the place
into confusion in forcing open chests and cabinets and lit-
tering the floor with garments; then taking a few of the
most valuable vases and jewels they threw them into the
pond round the fountain, where they would be concealed
from view by the water-lilies which floated on its surface.
They examined afresh the fastenings of the captives, and
felt assured that by no possibility could they free them-
selves.
"They will be sure to be freed by to-morrow night,"
Amuba said, "otherwise I should not like to leave them
here to die of hunger and thirst."
"I should be only too glad," Jethro said, "if I thought
there was a chance of their being here forty hours instead
of twenty. Doubtless this is not the first evil business they
have carried out for their villain master, and they may
think themselves lucky indeed that we do not take what
would be in every way the safest and best course, namely,
to run a sword through their bodies and silence them for
ever. If I thought they could tell anything I would do so
now; but I really do not think that anything they can tell


"THEY CAN TELL NOTHING."
269
will add to our danger. Of course the priest's wife knows
that Mysa is hidden here, and will proclaim the fact that
she has been here and is now missing, as she would
consider it might afford a clue for the apprehension of those
who attacked the house and slew her husband and son,
therefore I do not see that there would be much to be gained
hy silencing these people; but if you think differently I will
finish them at once."
Amuba shook his head, for although human life in those
days was thought little of, save by the Egyptians them-
selves, he shrank from the thought of slaying captives in
cold blood.
"No, they can tell nothing, Jethro. You had best be
moving, there is nothing more to talk over. I think all
our plans were arranged long ago; except, of course, that
you must get rather a larger boat than you had intended,
together with garments for the girls. I think it would be
best that Chebron should still be disguised as a woman; but
we can settle that to-morrow night There is a good store
of dresses for us to choose from at Chigron's."
Amuba led the horses to a stone water-trough and allowed
them to quench their thirst Then he mounted the chariot
and drove off, while the rest of the party set out on foot for
Thebes. It was so late before they reached Chigron's house
that they thought it better not to arouse the inmates, as
comment would be excited by the arrival of women at so late
an hour and unexpected by the master; the girls, therefore,
passed the night in the rock chamber behind the building,
while Jethro and Chebron lay down outside.
As soon as dawn broke they moved some distance away.
Jethro went to the house as soon as there was a sign that
there was any one astir, and told Chigron that they had
discovered and rescued Mysa. Chigron was much disturbed
when he heard of the death of the high-priest and his son.
"I don't say these men were not villains, Jethro; but
that two high-priests should be slaughtered in the course of


270
A WELCOME SHELTER.
a month is enough to hring the anger of all the gods upon
Egypt However, the poor girls are not responsible for it
in any way, and I will willingly shelter them, especially as
it is but for one night; but I own that I shall be vastly
relieved when I know that you are all fairly on your journey."
"That I can well understand," Jethro said; "and believe
me, the gratitude of those you have sheltered, which you
will have as long as they live, may well outweigh any doubts
that may present themselves as to whether you have acted
wisely in aiding those who are victims to the superstitions of
your countrymen."
Chigron called his servants and told them that he had
just heard of the arrival from the country of some friends,
and ordered a room to be prepared for them. He then
went out and returned an hour later with the two girls.
He led them quietly into the house and direct to the apart-
ment prepared for them, so that they were unseen by any
of the servants.
Then he called an old servant on whose fidelity he could
rely, and charged her to wait upon them during the day, and
to suffer none other to enter the apartment He bade her
convey the impression to the other servants that the visitors
were aged women, and to mention that they intended to
make a stay of a few hours only, until some friends with whom
they were going to stay should send in a cart to carry them to
their farm in the country. The old woman at once prepared
baths for the girls and then supplied them with a meal,
after which they lay down on couches and were soon fast
asleep; for the excitement of the preceding evening and the
strangeness of their position in the comfortless stone chamber
had prevented their closing an eye during the night, and
they had spent the hours in talking over the terrible loss
Mysa had sustained, and the journey that lay before them.
Half an hour later Chigron went out again and was soon
joined by Jethro, who had now resumed his attire as a
citizen of middle class. It was necessary that Chigron








HIRING A BOAT.
271
should accompany him and take the chief part in making
the arrangements; for although Jethro had learned, in his
two years' captivity, to speak Egyptian fluently, he could
not well pass as a native. Chigron therefore did most of the
bargaining, Jethro keeping somewhat in the background.
They first took their course down to the river bank.
Here innumerable craft lay moored; for the Nile was the
highway of Egypt, and except for short journeys all traffic
was carried on on its waters. As soon as it was known that
they were looking for a boat they were surrounded by the
owners of the various craft, each praising the speed, safety,
and comfort of his boat. Chigron, however, was some
time before he made his choice; then he fixed upon a
boat that seemed well suited for the purpose. She carried
a mast and large sail to take advantage of favourable winds.
She was light and of very small draught, and, being con-
structed entirely for passenger traffic, she had a large cabin
—divided into two parts for the accommodation of ladies—
the crew, consisting of the captain and four men, sleeping on
the deck
.
"I think your boat will do very well," he said to the
captain, "provided we can come to terms. My friend is
going up with his family as far as Syene at any rate, and
possibly on to Ibsciak; his business may take him even far-
ther. What will be your terms a week?"
"I suppose my lord will provide food for the crew as well
as for his own family?"
"That will be the best way," Jethro said.
"Then will he pay for extra hands where the current
runs so strong that the crew cannot tow the boat unaided
against it?"
Jethro assented.
"And will he return with it, or remain for a while at the
end of his journey?"
"It is probable that his business may detain him there
for a considerable time," Chigron replied. "He has rela-


THE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS.
275
but to-morrow, when those who were in the house are
questioned by the magistrates, this fact will doubtless come
out, and the men will own that by the orders of Ptylus they
carried Mysa away at the time the attack on the house was
made.
"At present, however, there is no question of women in
the case; and I can go down to the boat with the girls in
company with Chigron without any fear whatever. But it
is better that you should not be with us when we embark;
for when the matter comes to be talked over, someone who
sees us embark might notice that our number tallied with
that of the three persons present when Ptylus was killed,
and the two missing girls. Therefore Chigron's opinion is
that it will be safer for you to start at once and walk to
Mita, a village twenty miles up the river. There the boat
will lie up to-morrow night, and as soon as it is dark you
can come on board. I shall tell the boatmen that I expect
you to join us there, as you have gone on ahead to transact
some business for me in the neighbourhood."
"That is certainly the best plan," Amuba agreed. "There
are too many who know Chebron by sight for it to be safe
for him to go down to the boat here and embark in broad
daylight. I will take two hours' sleep before I start; for as
I did not sleep last night, and have walked forty miles since
I left the chariot, I feel in need of a little repose before I start
again. I was foolish not to have slept this afternoon, for I
have since midday been hiding near; but there was so much
to think about that I had no inclination to do so, especially
as I believed that we would have a night's rest here."
"I will wake you," Chebron said. "I have been asleep
the better part of the day, having had nothing to do since
we arrived here yesterday evening."
Chebron sat watching the stars until he saw that they
had made two hours' journey through the sky. Then he
roused Amuba. Both now laid aside their garments as
peasants and put on the attire prepared for them as the


276
ON THE BANK OF THE RIVER.
sons of a small trader. Amuba had submitted, although
with much disgust, to have his head shaved on the night
following the death of Ameres, and it was a satisfaction to
him to put on a wig; for, accustomed as he was to see the
bare heads of the peasants, it was strange and uncomfortable
to him to be going about in the same fashion.
As soon as they were dressed they started, made their
way down to the bank of the river above the town, and
walked along the broad causeway by the stream until within a
mile or two of their destination. Then they turned off towards
a clump of trees which were visible by the first gleam of
dawn a quarter of a mile away. Here they slept for some
hours, and late in the afternoon returned to the side of the
river and strolled quietly along, watching the boats. Those
in the middle of the stream were making their way down
with the current lightly and easily, the crews often singing
merrily, rejoicing over the approaching meeting with their
friends after an absence of many weeks. The boats going
up the stream were all close to the bank, the crews walking
along the causeway and labouring at the tow-ropes, for there
was not enough wind to render the sails of any utility in
breasting the stream. The craft were of various kinds,
some shapeless and rudely fashioned, used in conveying
corn from the country higher up down to Thebes, and now
returning empty. Others were the fancifully-painted boats
of the wealthy, with comfortable cabins and.sails of many
colours richly decorated and embroidered. These were
carrying their owners up or down the river, between their
country mansions and the city.
It was half an hour after sunset when the two friends
arrived at Mita. Darkness falls quickly in Egypt after the
sun has gone down, and their features could scarcely have
been recognized had they been met by anyone acquainted
with them in the streets. The scene in the streets of the
little village was a busy one. Its distance from Thebes
rendered it a general halting-place for the night of the boats


"HERE ARE YOUR BROTHERS."
277
which had left the capital early, and a great number of
these were already moored off the bank, while others were
arriving in quick succession. The boatmen and passengers
were busy making their purchases at the shops; fishermen,
with well-filled baskets, were shouting the praises of their
fish; fowlers, with strings of ducks and geese hanging from
poles from their shoulders, were equally clamorous in offer-
ing them for sale.
The shops of the fruiterers and bakers and those of the
vendors of the vegetables that formed so large a portion of
the diet of the Egyptians, were all crowded, and the wine-
shops were doing a brisk business.
Chebron and Amuba made their way through the busy
scene, keeping a sharp look-out for Jethro, for they consid-
ered it certain, that owing to the early start the boat was
to make that it would have arrived there some hours before,
and that he would be on the look-out for them. In a few
minutes they saw him looking into one of the shops. He
started as they went up to him and touched him, for he
had not perceived them before.
"All well?" Amuba asked.
"Everything has gone off admirably. We got off without
the slightest trouble. But come on board at once; the girls
are anxious about you, although I assured them that there
was not the slightest risk of your being discovered on your
way here."
So saying, Jethro led the way to the boat, which was
moored by the bank a hundred yards above the village, "in
order," Jethro said, "that they could make an early start in
the morning, and be off before the rest of the boats were
under way."
"Here are your brothers," Jethro said in a loud voice as
he stepped on board. "I found them dawdling and gossip-
ping in the street, forgetting altogether that you were wait-
ing for your evening meal until they came on board."
Both entered the cabin, which was about eight feet wide and


278
"IT DOES FEEL HOMELIKE."
twelve feet long, but not high enough for them to stand up-
right . The floor was spread with a thick carpet; cushions
and pillows were arranged along each side, and thick mat-
ting hung from the top. In the daytime this was rolled
up and fastened, so that the air could play through the
cabin, and those within could look out at the river; but at
present it closed the openings, and kept out both the night-air
and the glances of passers-by. At the other end was a door
opening into the smaller cabin allotted to the girls. A lamp
swung from the beams overhead. Mysa gave a cry of plea-
sure as they entered, and was about to spring to her feet
when Jethro exclaimed:
"Mind your head, child! You are not accustomed to
these low quarters yet."
"Thank the gods we are together again!" Mysa said,
as Chebron, after embracing her, sat down on the cushion
beside her. "I feel almost happy now, in spite of the
dreadful times that have passed."
"It does feel homelike here," Chebron said, looking
round, "especially after sleeping in the open air on the
hard ground, as we have been doing for the last month."
"I should hardly have known you, Amuba," Mysa said.
"You do look so different in your wig, and with your skin
darkened."
"I must look horrible," Amuba replied rather ruefully.
"You don't look so nice," Mysa replied frankly. "I
used at first to think that short, wavy, golden hair of yours
was strange, and that you would look better in a wig like
other people; but now I am sorry it has gone."
"Here is our meal," Jethro said, as the hangings that
served as a door were drawn aside, and one of the men
entered bearing a dish of fried fish and another of stewed
ducks, which he placed on the floor.
Jethro produced some cups and a jar of wine from a locker
in the cabin, and then the men, by his orders, brought in a
jar of water for the use of the girls. Then sitting round the


A CHANGE OF NAMES.
279
dishes they began their meal, Jethro cutting up the food
with his dagger, and all helping themselves with the aid of
their fingers and pieces of bread, that served them for the
purpose of forks. Mysa had been accustomed always to the
use of a table; but these were only used in the abodes of
the rich, and the people in general sat on the ground to
their meals.
"We have not begun our hardships yet," Mysa said,
smiling. "I should not mind how long this went on. I
call this much better than living in a house; don't you,
Ruth?"
"It is more natural to me than that great house of yours,"
Ruth replied; "and of course to me it is far more homelike
and comfortable. For I do not think I was a favourite among
the other servants; they were jealous of the kindness you
showed me."
"There is one thing I wanted to say," Jethro said. "It
is better that we should not call each other by our names. I
am sure that the boatmen have no suspicion here that we
are other than what we seem to be; but they can hardly help
hearing our names, for all Egypt has rung with them for the
last month, and it would be well if we change them for the
present . You must of necessity call me father, since that
is the relation I am supposed to bear to you. Amuba can
become Amnis, and Chebron Chefu."
"And I will be Mytis," Mysa said. "What name will you
take, Ruth? There is no Egyptian name quite like yours."
"It matters not what you call me," Ruth said.
'We will call you Nite," Mysa said. "I had a great
friend of that name, but she died."
"And there is one thing, Nite," Chebron said, "that I
wish you to understand. Just now you spoke to me as my
lord Chebron. That sort of thing must not be any longer.
We are all fugitives together, and Mysa and I have no longer
any rank . Jethro and Amuba are of high rank in their
own country, and if we ever get safely to their own people


280
ruth's story.
they will be nobles in the land, while we shall be but
strangers, as he was when he and Jethro came into Egypt
Therefore any talk of rank among us is but folly. We are
fugitives, and my life is forfeited if I am discovered
in my own land. Jethro is our leader and guardian,
alike by the will of our father and because he is older and
wiser than any of us. Amuba is as my elder brother, being
stronger and braver and more accustomed to danger than I;
while you and Mysa are sisters, inasmuch as you are both
exiled from your own land, and are friendless, save for each
other and us."
"I am glad to hear you say that, brother," Mysa said. "I
spoke to her last night about it, for she would insist on
treating me as if she were still my servant; which is absurd,
and not nice of her, when she is going out with us to share
our dangers only because she loves me. It is I rather who
should look up to her, for I am very helpless, and know
nothing of work or real life, while she can do all sorts of
things; besides, when we were captives it was she who was
always brave and hopeful, and kept up my spirits when, I do
think, if it had not been for her I should have died of grief
and terror."
"By the way," Jethro said, "we have not heard yet how
it was that you were together. We heard of your being
carried off, but old Lyptis told me that no one had seen
aught of you."
"They were all scared out of their senses," Ruth said
scornfully. "The men suddenly ran into the room and
seized Mysa, and twisted a shawl round her head before she
had time to call out I screamed, and one of them struck
me a blow which knocked me down. Then they carried her
off. I think I was stunned for a moment When I recov-
ered I found they were gone. I jumped up and ran along
the passage and through the hall, where the women were
screaming and crying, and then out of the house through the
garden, and out of the gate. Then I saw four men at a



"YOU ACTED BRAVELY AND WELL." 281
short distance off carrying Mysa to a cart standing a hun-
dred yards away. I ran up just as they laid her in it One
of them turned upon me with a dagger. I said:
"Let me go with her, and I will be quiet If not, I will
scream; and if you kill me, it will only set the people on
your traces.
"The men hesitated, and I ran past them and climbed
into the cart, and threw myself down by Mysa, and then
they drove off."
"It was brave and good of you, Ruth," Jethro said, laying
his hand on the girl's shoulder; "but why did you not
scream when you first came out of the gate? It might have
brought aid, and prevented Mysa from being carried off."
"I thought of that," Ruth said, "but there were numbers
of rough men still coming in at the gate; and knowing how
the people had been stirred up to anger against us, I did not
know what might happen if I gave the alarm. Besides, I
was not sure at first that these men, although they seemed
so rough and violent, were not really friends, who were
taking away Mysa to save her from the popular fury."
"Yes, that might have been the case," Jethro agreed.
"At any rate, child, you acted bravely and well. We were
hoping all along that you were with Mysa, for we knew
what a comfort you would be to her. Only, as the women
all declared you did not pass out after her, we did not see
how that could be. And now, Mytis and Nite, you had better
retire to your own cabin to rest; for though you have both
kept up wonderfully, all this has been a great strain for you,
and you are both looking fagged and heavy-eyed. To-night
you can sleep in comfort; for, for the present, I think that
there is no occasion whatever for the slightest anxiety."
It was some time before Jethro and his companions lay
down to sleep. They talked long and earnestly of the journey
that lay before them; and when they had exhausted this
topic, Chebron said:
"Till now, Jethro, I have not asked you about my father's


BREAKFAST.
285
the four men towing her, and the captain steering with an
oar at the stern. It was light enough now for him to dis-
tinguish the faces of his passengers, and he brought the
boat straight alongside the bank. In a few minutes the
girls came out from their cabin, looking fresh and rosy.
"So you have been bathing?" Mysa said. "We heard
what you were saying, and we have had our bath too."
"How did you manage that?" Chebron asked.
"We went out by the door at the other side of our cabin
in our woollen robes, on to that little platform on which
the man is standing to steer, and poured jars of water over
each other."
"And you both slept well?"
"Yes, indeed, and without waking once till we heard
Amnis call you to get up."
"You disturbed every one, you see, Amnis," Chebron
said.
"And a very good thing too," Amuba laughed. "If we
had not had our bath when we did, we should not have got
an opportunity all day. Now we all feel fresh."
"And ready for something to eat," Mysa put in.
"What would you like, Mytis?" Ruth asked. "I am a
capital cook, you know, and I don't suppose the men will
be preparing their breakfast for a long time yet"
"I think that will be a very good plan, Mytis," Jethro
said; "but we will divide the labour between us. The two
boys shall stir up the brands mouldering on the flat stone
hearth forward, I will clean and get ready some fish,
Nite shall cook them, while Mytis shall, under her directions,
make us some cakes and put them into the hot ashes to bake.
We shall have to shift for ourselves later on. There is
nothing like getting accustomed to it Of course the men
will cook the principal meals, but we can prepare little meals
between times. It is astonishing how many times you can
eat during the day when you are in the open air.''
In half an hour the meal, consisting of the fish, light


286
A PLEASANT TIME.
dough-cakes, which Mysa had with much amusement pre-
pared under Ruth's directions, and fruit was ready. The
latter consisted of grapes and melons. The meal was greatly
enjoyed, and by the time it was finished the sun was already
some distance up the sky. For an hour the party sat on
the deck forward watching the boats coming down the
stream and the villages on the opposite shore; but as the
sun gained power they were glad to enter into the cabin.
The mats were rolled up now to allow a free passage of
air, and as they sat on the cushions they could look out on
both sides.
Day after day passed quietly and smoothly. The men
generally towed the boat from sunrise until eleven o'clock
in the day, then they moored her to the bank, prepared
a meal, and after eating it went ashore if there were trees
that afforded a shade there, or if not, spread out some mats
on poles over the boat and slept in their shade till three
o'clock. Then they towed until sunset, moored her for the
night, cooked their second meal, talked and sung for an
hour or two, and then lay down for the night. Sometimes
the wind blew with sufficient strength to enable the boat to
stem the stream close inshore by means of the sail alone;
then the boatmen were perfectly happy, and spent their day
in alternate eating and sleeping. Generally the passengers
landed and walked alongside of the boat for an hour or two
after they had had their early breakfast, and again when
the heat of the day was over; it made a change, and at the
same time kept their muscles in a state of health and ac-
tivity.
"We may have to make long journeys on foot," Jethro
said, "and the more we can accustom ourselves to walking
the better."
The time passed so quietly and pleasantly that both Mysa
and Chebron at times blamed themselves for feeling as light-
hearted as they did; but when the latter once said so to
Jethro he replied:


THE ROUTE TO BE FOLLOWED.
287
"Do not be uneasy on that score. Remember that in
the first place it is a comfort to us all that you and your
sister are cheerful companions. It makes the journey lighter
for ua In the next place, good spirits and good health go
together; and although, at present, our life is an easy one,
there will be need for health and strength presently.
This flight and exile are at present blessings rather than
misfortunes to you. Just as Amuba's captivity following
so closely upon the death of his father and mother was to
him."
"I can hardly believe," Mysa said, "that we are really
going upon a dangerous expedition. Everything is so pleas-
ant and tranquil. The days pass without any care or trouble.
I find it difficult to believe that the time is not very far off
when we shall have to cross deserts, and perhaps to meet
savage beasts and wild people, and be in danger of our
lives."
"It will be a long time first, Mytis. It will be months
before we arrive at Meroe, the capital of the next kingdom,
which lies at the junction of the two great arms of this
river. Up to that point I do not think there will be dangers,
though there may be some little difficulty, for they say
there are tremendous rapids to be passed. It is only lately
that the king overran Meroe, defeated its armies, and forced
it to pay tribute, but as there is a considerable trade carried
on with that country I do not think there is any danger of
molestation. It is on leaving Meroe that our difficulties
will commence; for, as I hear, the road thence to the east
through the city of Axoum, which is the capital of the
country named Abyssinia, passes through a wild land
abounding with savage animals; and again, beyond Axoum
the country is broken and difficult down to the sea.
"Chigron told me, however, that he had heard from a
native of Meroe who had worked for him that there is a far
shorter road to the sea from a point at which the river takes
a great bend many hundreds of miles below the capital.


SYENE.
289
country to traverse which, although often subjugated, was
continually rising against the power of Egypt
At Syene they remained for three days. They would
gladly have pushed on without delay, for although the
Egyptian authority extended further up the river, Syene
was the last town where the governor would concern himself
with the affairs of Egypt, or where fugitives from justice
were likely to be arrested. However, as it was customary
to give boatmen a few days of repose after their labour,
and before undertaking the still more severe work which
lay before them, Jethro thought it better to avoid any
appearance of haste.
There was much to be seen that was new to them at
Syene. A great trade was carried on with Meroe. Most of
the merchants engaged in it dwelt here, buying on the one
hand the products of Upper and Lower Egypt and sending
or taking them up the river, and on the other hand buying
the products of Meroe and despatching them to Thebes.
The streets were filled with a mingled population . Egyptians
with their spotless garments and tranquil mien; merchants
absorbed in business; officers and soldiers in large numbers,
for Syene was an important military station; officials belong-
ing to the great quarries near, and gangs of slaves of many
nationalities working under their orders.
Wild-looking figures moved among the crowd, their gar-
ments, thrown loosely round them, affording a striking con-
trast to the cleanness of those of the Egyptians, while
their unkempt hair was in equally strong contrast to the
precise wigs of the middle-class Egyptians and the bare
heads of the lower class. Their skins, too, were much darker
in colour, though there was considerable variation in this
respect Among them were a sprinkling of men of an en-
tirely different type, almost black in hue, with thicker lips
and flatter features. These were Ethiopians, whose land lay
beyond that of Meroe, and who had also felt the weight and
power of the arms of Egypt
(481) T


290
THE ORIGIN OF THE EGYPTIANS.
"These people of Meroe," Amuba said, "are very similar
in feature to the Egyptians, Chebron. And their tongue is
also not unlike yours; I can understand their speech."
"Our oldest books," Amuba said, "say that we are kindred
people, and are Asiatic rather than African in our origin.
The people of Meroe say that their far-back ancestors came
from Arabia, and first spreading along the western shore of
the Red Sea, ascended to the high lands and drove out the
black people who inhabited them.
"As to our own origin, it is vague; but my father has
told me that the opinion among those most skilled in the
ancient learning is that we too came from Arabia. We
were not all one people, that is certain; and it is com-
paratively of recent years, though a vast time as far as
human lives go, that the people of the Thebaid—that is, of
Upper Egypt—extended their dominion over Lower Egypt,
and made the whole country one nation. Even now, you
know, the king wears two crowns—the one of Upper Egypt,
the other of the lower country. Along the shores of the
Great Sea to the west are Lybians and other peoples similar
in race to ourselves. My father considered that the tribes
which first came from Asia pressed on to the west, driving
back or exterminating the black people. Each fresh wave
that came from the east pushed the others further and
further, until at last the ancestors of the people of Lower
Egypt arrived and settled there.
"In Meroe the temples and religion are similar to our
own. Whether they brought that religion from Arabia, or
whether we planted it there during our various conquests of
the country, I cannot tell you; but certain it is that there is
at present but little more difference between Upper Egypt
and Meroe than there is between Upper Egypt and the
Delta."
"And beyond Meroe the people are all black like those
we see here?"
"So I believe, Amuba. Our merchants penetrate vast


A VAST QUARRY.
291
distances to the south exchanging our products for gold and
ivory, and everywhere they find the country inhabited by
black people living in wretched villages, without, as it seems,
any government, or law, or order, waging war with each
other and making slaves, whom they also sell to our mer-
chants. They differ so wholly from us that it is certain that
we cannot come from the same stock. But they are strong
and active, and make excellent slaves. Lying between
Meroe and the sea, the country called Abyssinia is also
inhabited by a race of Arab blood, but differing more from
us than those of Meroe.
"They have great towns, but I do not think that their re-
ligion is the same as ours; our traders say that their language
can be understood by them, although more rough and un-
polished. I have heard my father say that he considered
that all the country lying east of the Nile, and of its eastern
branch that rises in Abyssinia and is called the Tacazze,
belongs to Asia rather than to Africa."
The party found that the death by violence of two suc-
cessive high-priests of Osiris was one of the principal topics
of conversation in Syene, but none appeared to think that
there was the remotest probability of any concerned in those
occurrences making for the south. However, Jethro thought
it prudent that the whole party should not land together,
and therefore Amuba and Chebron usually went one way,
and he with the girls another. They paid visits to the
sacred island of Ebo opposite the town, and to the quarries
of Phile, four miles away. Here they saw the gangs of
slaves cutting out colossal statues, obelisks, and shrines
from the solid rock
.
First the outline was traced on the rock, then the sur-
rounding stone was removed with chisels and wedges, and
at last the statue or obelisk was itself severed from the
rock. Then it was hewn and sculptured by the masons,
placed on rollers and dragged by hundreds of men down to
the landing-place below the rapids, and these placed on rafts


292
SLAVE LABOURERS.
to be floated down the river to its destination. They saw
many of these masses of stone in all stages of manufacture.
The number of slaves employed was enormous, and these
inhabited great buildings erected near the quarries, where
also were barracks for the troops who kept guard over them.
Watching the slaves at their painful labour, Jethro and
Amuba were both filled with gratitude at the good fortune
that had placed them with Ameres instead of sending them
to pass their lives in such unceasing and monotonous toil.
Among the slaves were several whom, by their complexion
and appearance, they judged to be Rebu. As at first all those
brought to Egypt had been distributed among the priests
and great officers, they supposed that either from obstinacy,
misconduct, or from attempts to escape, they had incurred
the displeasure of their masters, and had been handed over
by them for the service of the state.
Had the slaves been in the hands of private masters, Jethro
and Amuba, who were filled with pity at seeing their country
men in such a state, would have endeavoured to purchase
them and take them with them upon their journey. This
was out of the question now, nor was it possible to hold any
communication with them, or to present them with a small
sum of money to alleviate their misery, without exciting
suspicion. The whole party were heartily glad when on the
morning of the fourth day after their arrival the boat was
pushed off from the shore, and the work of ascending the
rapids began.
CHAPTER XVIL
OUT OF EGYPT.
THE river had begun to rise before they left Thebes, and
although it had not yet reached its highest point a
great volume of water was pouring down; and the boatmen


294
THE FRONTIER TOWN.
records of the victories of Rameses over various nations of
Africa and Asia.
Jethro offered, if the boatmen wished to make a longer
stay here, that he would charter another boat to take them
further; but they declared their willingness to proceed at
the end of a week after their arrival, being well satisfied
with their engagement and treatment. After passing the
second cataract they arrived at another large town named
Behni.1 This was a very large city, and abounded with
temples and public buildings. The largest temple was dedi-
cated to Thoth. All along the river a belt of cultivated land
extended for some miles back from the bank; this was
dotted with numerous villages, and there was no difficulty
whatever in obtaining food of all kinds.
At last they reached Semneh, the point to which the
boatmen had agreed to take them. This was the farthest
boundary to which at that time the Egyptian power ex-
tended. The river here took a great bend to the east, then
flowing south and afterwards again west, forming a great
loop. This could be avoided by cutting across the desert
to Merawe, a flourishing town which marked the northern
limit of the power of Meroe, the desert forming a conveni-
ent neutral ground between the two kingdoms. Sometimes
Egypt under a powerful king carried her arms much further
to the south, at other times a warlike monarch of Meroe would
push back the Egyptian frontier almost to Syene; but as a
rule the Nile as far south as Semneh was regarded as be-
longing to Egypt.
The traders arriving at Semneh generally waited until a
sufficient number were gathered together to form a strong
caravan for mutual protection against the natives inhabiting
the desert, who held themselves independent alike of Egypt
and of Meroe, and attacked and plundered parties crossing
the desert, unless these were so strong and well-armed as
to be able to set them at defiance. Erecting two tents, and
> Now Wady-Half a.


THE CHOICE OF ROUTES.
295
landing their goods and merchandise, Jethro and his party
encamped near the river-bank . They had not yet settled
whether they would cross the desert or continue their jour-
ney by water.
The choice between the two routes was open to them; for
although the traders usually crossed the desert, taking with
them their lighter and more valuable merchandise, the
heavier goods made the long detour in boats, going up in
large flotillas, both for protection against the natives and
for mutual aid in ascending the rapids which had to be
encountered. There was no difficulty in hiring another
boat, for it was the universal rule to make a transhipment
here, as the Egyptian boatmen were unwilling to enter
Meroe. The transport beyond this point, therefore, was in
the hands of the people of this country.
In consultation with the traders gathered at Semneh
Jethro learned that it was by no means necessary to proceed
up the river to the city of Meroe,1 and thence eastward
through Axoum, the capital of Abyssinia, to the sea, but
that a far shorter road existed from the easternmost point
of the bend of the river direct to the sea. There were,
indeed, several large Egyptian towns upon the Red Sea, and
from these a flourishing trade was carried on with Meroe
and Abyssinia; and the first merchant to whom Jethro
spoke was much surprised to find that he was in ignorance
of the existence of the route he had described.
The journey, although toilsome, was said to be no more
so than that from Meroe through Axoum, while the distance
to be traversed was small in comparison. After much con-
sultation it was therefore agreed that the best plan was to
dispose of the merchandise that they had brought with them
to one of the traders about to proceed south, retaining only
sufficient for the payment of the men whom it would be
necessary to take with them for protection on their journey.
Jethro had no difficulty in doing this, alleging as his reason
'Now Khartoum.


296
THE JOURNEY RESUMED.
for parting with his goods that he found that the expenses
to Meroe would greatly exceed the sum he had calculated
upon, and that therefore he had determined to proceed no
further. As they thought it best to allow six months from
the date of their departure from Thebes to elapse before they
entered any large Egyptian town, they remained for nearly
two months at Semneh, and then finding that a flotilla of
boats was ready to ascend the river they made an arrange-
ment with some boatmen for the hire of their craft to the
point where they were to leave the river and again set out
on their journey.
The difficulties of the journey were very great. After
travelling for some sixty miles they came to rapids more
dangerous than any they had passed, and it took the flotilla
more than a fortnight passing up them, only four or five
boats being taken up each day by the united labours of the
whole of the crews. There was great satisfaction when the
last boat had been taken up the rapids, and there was a
general feast that evening among the boatmen. During the
whole time they had been engaged in the passage a number
of armed scouts had been placed upon the rocky eminences
near the bank; for the place had an evil reputation, and
attacks were frequently made by the desert tribesmen upon
those passing up or down upon the river.
So far no signs of the presence of hostile natives had been
perceived. The usual precautions, however, had been taken;
the cargoes had all been carried up by hand and deposited
so as to form a breastwork, and as night closed in several
sentries were placed to guard against surprise. It had been
arranged that the men belonging to the boats each day
brought up should that night take sentinel duty; and this
evening Jethro, his companions, and boatmen were among
those on guard. Many of the boats had left Semneh before
them, and they had been among the last to arrive at the
foot of the cataracts, and consequently came up in the last
batch.


298
AN ATTACK REPULSED.
"Stoop down behind the breastwork," Jethro shouted,
"until they are near enough for you to take aim. Have
your spears ready to check their onslaught when they charge.''
Although Jethro held no position entitling him to com-
mand, his orders were as promptly obeyed as if he had been
in authority. The men recognized at once, by the calmness
of his tones, that he was accustomed to warfare, and readily
yielded to him obedience. In a minute or two a crowd of
figures could be seen approaching, and the Egyptians, leap-
ing to their feet, poured in a volley of arrows. The yells and
screams which broke forth testified to the execution wrought
in the ranks of the enemy, but without a check they still
rushed forward . The Egyptians discharged their arrows as
fast as they could during the few moments left them, and
then, as the natives rushed at the breastwork, threw down
their bows, and, grasping the spears, maces, swords, axes,
or staves with which they were armed, boldly met the foe.
For a few minutes the contest was doubtful, but encour-
aged by the shouts of Jethro, whose voice could be heard
above the yells of the natives, the Egyptians defended their
position with vigour and courage. As fast as the natives
climbed over the low breastwork of merchandise they were
either speared or cut down, and after ten minutes' fierce
fighting their attack ceased as suddenly as it had begun, and
as if by magic a dead silence succeeded the din of battle.
"You have done well, comrades," Jethro said, "and de-
feated our assailants; but we had best stand to arms for a
while, for they may return. I do not think they will, for
they have found us stronger and better prepared for them
than they had expected. Still, as we do not know their
ways, it were best to remain on our guard."
An hour later, as nothing had been heard of the enemy,
the fires were relighted and the wounded attended to. Six-
teen men had been shot dead by the arrows of the assailants
and some fifty were more or less severely wounded by the
same missiles, while eighteen had fallen in the hand-to-hand


CHEBRON CARRIES THE NEWS.
299
contest at the breastwork. Thirty-seven natives were found
dead inside the breastwork. How many had fallen before
the arrows of the defenders the latter never knew, for it
was found in the morning that the natives had carried off
their killed and wounded who fell outside the inclosure.
As soon as the fighting was over Chebron ran down to the
boat to allay the fears of the girls and assure them that
none of their party had received a serious wound, Jethro
alone having been hurt by a spear thrust, which, however,
glanced off his ribs, inflicting only a flesh wound, which he
treated as of no consequence whatever.
"Why did not Amuba come down with you?" Mysa
asked. "Are you sure that he escaped without injury?"
"I can assure you that he has not been touched, Mysa;
but we are still on guard, for it is possible that the enemy
may return again, although we hope that the lesson has
been sufficient for them."
"Were you frightened, Chebron?"
"I felt a little nervous as they were coming on, but when
it came to hand-to-hand fighting I was too excited to think
anything about the danger. Besides, I was standing be-
tween Jethro and Amuba, and they have fought in great
battles, and seemed so quiet and cool that I could scarcely
feel otherwise. Jethro took the command of every one, and
the rest obeyed him without question. But now I must go
back to my post. Jethro told me to slip away to tell you
that we were all safe, but I should not like not to be in my
place if they attack again."
"I have often wondered, Ruth," Mysa said when Chebron
had left them, "what we should have done if it had not
been for Jethro and Amuba. If it had not been for them
I should have been obliged to marry Plexo, and Chebron
would have been caught and killed at Thebes. They arrange
everything, and do not seem afraid in the slightest."
"I think your brother is brave, too," Ruth said; "and
they always consult with him about their plans."


300
RUTH UNDERSTANDS THINGS.
"Yes; but it is all their doing," Mysa replied. "Chebron,
before they came, thought of nothing but reading, and was
gentle and quiet. I heard one of the slaves say to another
that he was more like a girl than a boy; but being with
Amuba has quite altered him. Of course, he is not as
strong as Amuba, but he can walk and run and shoot an
arrow and shoot a javelin at a mark almost as well as
Amuba can; still he has not so much spirit. I think
Amuba always speaks decidedly, while Chebron hesitates
to give an opinion."
"But your brother has a great deal more learning than
Amuba, and so his opinion ought to be worth more, Mysa."
"Oh, yes, if it were about history or science; for any-
thing of that sort of course it would, Ruth, but not about
other things. Of course, it is natural that they should be
different, because Amuba is the son of a king."
"The son of a king?" Ruth repeated in surprise.
"Yes, I heard it when he first came; only father said it
was not to be mentioned, because if it were known he would
be taken away from us and kept as a royal slave at the
palace. But he is really the son of a king, and as his father
is dead he will be king himself when he gets back to his
own country."
"And Jethro is one of the same people, is he not?" Ruth
asked.
"Oh, yes! they are both Rebu. I think Jethro was one
of the king's warriors."
"That accounts," Ruth said, "for what has often puzzled
me. Jethro is much the oldest of our party, and altogether
the leader, and yet I have observed that he always speaks
to Amuba as if the latter were the chief."
"I have not noticed that," Mysa said, shaking her head;
"but I do know, now you mention it, that he always asks
Amuba's opinion before giving his own."
"I have constantly noticed it, Mysa, and I wondered that
since he and Amuba were your father's slaves he should


302
THE END OF THE BOAT-JOURNEY.
hundreds of years ago came thence. But here are the
others," she broke off, as the boat heeled suddenly over as
some one sprang on board. "Now we shall hear more about
the fighting."
The next day the journey was continued, and without
further adventure the flotilla arrived at last at the town
where the party would leave the river and strike for the
coast . Having unloaded their goods and discharged the
boat, Jethro hired a small house until arrangements were
made for their journey to the sea-coast. El Makrif1 was
a place of no great importance. A certain amount of trade
was carried on with the coast, but most of the merchants
trading with Meroe preferred the longer but safer route
through Axoum. Still parties of travellers passed up and
down and took boat there for Meroe; but there was an
absence of the temples and great buildings which had dis-
tinguished every town they had passed between Thebes and
Semneh.
Jethro upon inquiry found that there were wells at the
camping-places along the whole route. The people were
wild and savage, the Egyptian power extending only from
the sea-shore to the foot of the hills, some fifteen miles
away. Occasionally expeditions were got up to punish the
tribesmen for their raids upon the cultivated land of the
coast, but it was seldom that the troops could come upon
them, for, knowing every foot of the mountain, these eluded
all search by their heavy-armed adversaries. Jethro found
that the custom was for merchants travelling across this
country to pay a fixed sum in goods for the right of passage.
There were two chiefs claiming jurisdiction over the road,
and a messenger was at once despatched to the nearest of
these with the offer of the usual payment and a request for
an escort.
A week later four wild-looking figures presented them-
selves at the house and stated that they were ready to con-
1 Now called Berber.


"WE MUST NOT GIVE WAY, MYSA."
303
duct the travellers through their chiefs territory. Jethro
had already made arrangements with the head man of the
place to furnish him with twelve men to carry provisions
necessary for the journey, and upon the following morning
the party started, and Mysa and Ruth assumed the garb of
boys, Jethro finding that although traders might bring up
the ladies of their family to Semneh, or even take them
higher up the river in boats, they would never think of
exposing them to the fatigue of a journey across the moun-
tains, and that the arrival of two girls at the Egyptian town
on the sea would therefore assuredly attract remark, and
possibly inquiry, on the part of the authorities.
For the first few hours the girls enjoyed the change of
travelling after the long confinement on the boat, but long
before nightfall they longed for the snug cushions and easy
life they had left behind. The bearers, heavy laden as they
were, proceeded at a steady pace that taxed the strength of
the girls to keep up with after the first few miles were
passed. The heat of the sun was intense. The country
after a short distance had been passed became barren and
desolate. They did not suffer from thirst, for an ample
supply of fruit was carried by one of the bearers, but their
limbs ached, and their feet, unused to walking, became
tender and painful.
"Can we not stop for a while, JethroV Mysa asked
beseechingly.
Jethro shook his head.
"We must keep on to the wells. They are two hours
further yet. They told us at starting that the first day's
journey was six hours steady walking."
Mysa was about to say that she could walk no further,
when Ruth whispered in her ear:
"We must not give way, Mysa. You know we promised
that if they would take us with them, we would go through
all difficulties and dangers without complaining."
The admonition had its effect . Mysa felt ashamed that


IN HIDING.
307
despatch them. Generally we drive them from our villages
by lighting great fires and making noises. Solitary elephants
are more dangerous than a herd. I have known one of them
kill a dozen men, seizing some in his trunk and throwing
them in the air as high as the top of a lofty tree, dashing
others to the ground, and kneeling upon them until every
bone is crushed to pieces."
The elephants had now reached the bottom of the valley,
and the chief of the escort held up his hand for perfect
silence. All were prepared to fight if the elephants pursued
them into the bushes, for further retreat was impossible.
Amuba and Chebron had fitted their arrows into the bow-
strings, and loosened their swords in the scabbards. The
four natives had drawn the short heavy swords they carried,
while Jethro grasped the axe that was his favourite weapon.
"Remember," he had whispered to the boys, "the back
sinews of the legs are the only useful point to aim at; if
they advance, separate, and if they make towards the girls
try to get behind them and hamstring them."
There was a long pause of expectation. The elephants
could be heard making a low snorting noise with their
trunks; and Jethro at last raised himself sufficiently to look
through the bushes at what was going on. The elephants
were examining the bundles that had been thrown down.
"I believe that they are eating up our food," he whispered
as he sat down again.
Half an hour elapsed, and then there was a sound of
breaking the bushes. Jethro again looked out
"Thank the gods!" he exclaimed, "they are going off
again."
Trampling down the mimosa thicket as if it had been
grass, the elephants ascended the opposite hill and at last
re-entered the wood from which they had first emerged
.
The fugitives waited for a quarter of an hour and then made
their way out again from the thicket, Jethro cutting a path
with his axe through the thorns. An exclamation of sur-


308
GREEDY VISITORS.
'prise broke from them as they gained the open ground. The
whole of their stores were tossed about in the wildest confu-
sion. Every one of the packages had been opened. Tent,
garments, and carpets hung upon the bushes as if the ani-
mals had tossed them contemptuously there as being unfit
to eat . Everything eatable had disappeared. The fruit,
grain, and vegetables had been completely cleared up. The
skins of wine were burst; but the contents had been apparently
appreciated, for none remained in the hollows of the rocks.
"What greedy creatures!" Mysa exclaimed indignantly,
'' they have not left us a single thing."
"They do not often get a chance of such dainty feeding,"
Amuba said. "I don't think we ought to blame them, espe-
cially as they do not seem to have done very much damage
to our other goods."
"Look how they have trampled down the bushes as they
went through. I wish their skins were as thin as mine,"
Mysa said, as she wiped away the blood from a deep scratch
on her cheek; "they would keep up in their own woods
then and not come down to rob travellers."
"At any rate, Mysa, we ought to feel indebted to them,"
Chebron said, "for not having pushed their investigations
further. We should have had no chance either of escape or
resistance in these bushes. Jethro told us to move round
and attack them from behind; but moving round in these
thorns is all very well to talk about, but quite impossible to
do. Two minutes of active exercise and there would not be
a morsel of flesh left on one's bones."
It was two or three hours before the bearers came back
one by one. They were assailed with fierce reproaches by
Jethro for the cowardice which had been the means of losing
all the provisions. Four of their number were at once paid
off and sent back, as there was no longer anything for them
to carry. The others would have left also had it not been
for the escort, who threatened death if they did not at once
take up their burdens and proceed. For Jethro bad been


ON THE RED SEA.
309
liberal with his stores, and they were as indignant as he
was himself at the sudden stoppage of their rations.
Three days later they arrived at a small village, which
marked the commencement of the territory of the second
chief through whose country the road ran. Here the escort
and carriers left them, their place being supplied by natives
of the village. There was no difficulty in obtaining a supply
of grain and goats'-milk cheese; but these were a poor sub-
stitute for the stores that the elephants had devoured. They
were too glad, however, at having accomplished half the
toilsome journey to murmur at trifles, and after a day's halt
proceeded on their way. Another fortnight's travel and
they stood on the lower slopes of the hills, and saw across a
wide belt of flat country the expanse of the sea glistening
in the sun.
Two more days' journey and they reached the Egyptian
trading station. This was situated on a little peninsula
connected with the mainland by a narrow neck of land,
across which a massive wall had been built to repulse the
attacks of the wild tribesmen, who frequently swept down
and devastated the cultivated fields up to the very wall.
As soon as they entered the town Jethro was ordered by
an official to accompany him to the house of the governor.
Taking Chebron with him, he left it to Amuba to arrange
for the use of a small house during their stay.
The governor's inquiries were limited to the state of the
country, the behavour of the tribesmen along the road, the
state of the wells, and the amount of provisions obtainable
along the line of route.
"There are a party of Arab traders from the other side
who wish to pass up to carry their goods either to Semneh
or Meroe, but I have detained them until news should reach
me from above, for if any wrong should happen to them
their countrymen might probably enough hold us respon-
sible for their deaths, and this might lead to quarrels and
loss of trade; but since you have passed through with so


310
JETHRO EXAMINED.
small a party there can be no fear, and they can arrange
with the people who brought you down as to the amount
to be paid to the chiefs for free passage."
He inquired Jethro's reason for making the journey over
the mountains instead of proceeding by the Nile. He
replied that he had received an advantageous offer for all
his merchandise and had disposed of it to a trader going
up to Meroe, and that as the Nile had now fallen, and the
danger in passing down the cataracts was considerable, he
thought it better to make the short land journey, and to
travel by sea to Lower Egypt; especially as he was told that
the natives were now friendly, and that no difficulty would
be met with on the way. Another reason for his choosing
that route was, that he might determine whether on his next
venture it would not be more advantageous to bring down
his merchandise by ship, and start from the sea-shore for
Meroe.
"Undoubtedly it would be better," the governor said;
"but it were wiser to sail another two days' journey down
the coast and then to journey by way of Axoum."
A weeks' rest completely recruited'the strength of the girls,
and Jethro then engaged a passage in a trading ship which
was going to touch at various small ports on its way north.
CHAPTER XVIIL
THE DESERT JOURNEY.
THE journey was a long one. The winds were often so
light that the vessel scarcely moved, and the heat was
greater than anything they had felt during their journey.
They stopped at many small ports on the Arabian side; the
captain trading with the natives—selling to them articles


312
LEAVING THE SHIP.
would have seemed an extraordinary proceeding for a trader
journeying with his family to leave the ship at any of the
Arabian ports. While sailing up the gulf Mysa complained
of illness, and indeed so overpowered was she by the heat
that there was but little fiction in the complaint. Upon
arriving at /Elana Jethro had her carried on shore, and,
hiring a house there, stayed on shore while the ship was
in port.
There was a small Egyptian garrison in the town, which
carried on a considerable trade with Moab and the country
to the east. No attention, however, was paid to the landing
of the traders, for, as the country beyond the walls of the
town lay beyond the limit of Egyptian rale, the landing and
departure of persons at the port was a matter of no interest
to the authorities. Two days later Jethro went on board
again and said that his young son was so ill that there was
no chance of him being able to proceed on the journey, and
that therefore he must forfeit the passage money paid to
Arsinoe.
He said that as it might be many weeks before another
vessel would come along, he should endeavour to pay his
way by trading with the natives, and he therefore wished to
purchase from him a portion of his remaining goods suitable
for the purpose. As the captain saw that he would save
the provisions for five persons for the month or six weeks
that the voyage would yet last, and at the same time get
rid of some of his surplus cargo, he assented without ques-
tion to Jethro's proposal. Several bales of goods were made
up, consisting principally of cloths of various texture and
colour of Egyptian manufacture, trinkets, and a selection
of arms.
These were landed, and two days later the vessel set sail.
Jethro called upon the Egyptian commandant, and by mak-
ing him a handsome present at once enlisted his aid in his
enterprise. He said that as he had been detained by the
illness of his son, and it might be a long time before any


PLUNDERING TRIBES.
313
vessel came, he thought of getting rid of the rest of the
merchandise he had brought with him by trade with the
people of Moab.
"That you can do if you reach Moab," the Egyptian said,
"for traders are everywhere well received; but the journey
from here is not without dangers. It is a country without a
master; the people have no fixed abodes, moving here and
there according as they can find food for their animals,
sometimes among the valleys of Sinai, sometimes in the
desert to the east These people plunder any whom they
may come across, and not content with plunder might slay
or carry you away as slaves. Once you have passed through
as far as Moab you are safe; as you would also be if you
journeyed to the west of the Salt Lake, into which runs the
river Jordan. There are many tribes there, all living in
cities, warlike and valorous people, among whom also you
would be safe. We have had many wars with them, and
not always to our advantage. But between us is a sort of
truce—they do not molest our armies marching along by
the sea-coast, nor do we go up among their hills to meddle
with them. These are the people who at one time conquered
a portion of Lower Egypt, and reigned over it for many
generations until, happily, we rose and drove them out"
"Is the journey between this and the Salt Lake you speak
of an arduous one?"
"It is by no means difficult, except that it were best to
carry water upon the journey, for the wells are few and often
dry; but the country is flat for the whole distance, indeed
there is a tradition that this gulf at one time extended as far
north as the Salt Lake. The road, therefore, though stony
and rough, offers no difficulties whatever; but I should advise
you, if you determine upon the journey, to leave your
son behind."
"It is better for him to travel than to remain here without
me," Jethro said; "and if we go up through the people you
speak of to the west of this lake and river, it would be but



316 THE START.
the camels learned that they had decided positively to pass
to the east of the Salt Lake, he advised them strongly, in-
stead of following the valley of ^Elana to the Salt Lake,
where it would be difficult to obtain water, to take the road
to the east of the range of hills skirting the valleys, and so
to proceed through Petra and Shobek and Karik to Hesbon
in Moab. This was the route followed by all the caravans.
Villages would be found at very short distances, and there
was no difficulty whatever about water.
"My camels," he said, "can go long distances without
water, and could take the valley route, but the horses would
suffer greajtly."
Jethro was glad to hear that the journey was likely to be
less toilsome than he had anticipated; and all the arrange-
ments having been concluded, the party started soon after
dawn on the day at first fixed upon.
The girls were still in male attire, and rode in large
baskets slung one on each side of a camel. The camel-
driver walked at the head of the animal, leading it by a
cord. Its fellows followed in a long line, each fastened to
the one before it . Jethro, Amuba, and Chebron, all armed
with bows and arrows, as well as swords, rode beside the
girls' camel. Half the escort went on ahead, the other half
formed the rear-guard.
"Which is the most dangerous part of the journey?"
Jethro asked the camel-driver.
"That on which we are now entering," he replied. "Once
we arrive at Petra we are comparatively safe; but this por-
tion of the journey passes over a rough and uninhabited
country, and it is across this line that the wandering tribes-
men pass in their journeys to or from the pastures round
Mount Sinai. The steep hills on our left form at once a
hiding-place and a look-out. There they can watch for trav-
ellers passing along this road, and swoop down upon
them."
"How long shall we be reaching Petra?"


A DREARY DESERT.
317
"It is three days' fair travelling; but as the beasts are
fresh, by journeying well on to sundown we could accom-
plish it in two days. After that we can travel at our ease,
the villages lie but a few miles apart."
"Let us push on, then, by all means," said Jethro. "We
can stay a day at Petra to rest the beasts, but let us get
through this desolate and dangerous country as soon as we
can."
The girls had been greatly amused at first at the appear-
ance of the strange animal that was carrying them; but they
soon found that the swinging action was extremely fatiguing,
and they would have gladly got down and walked.
Jethro, however, said that this could not be, for the pace
of the animal, deliberate though it seemed, was yet too
great for them to keep up with on foot, and it was needful
for the first two days to push on at full speed.
The sun blazed with tremendous force, and was reflected
from the black rock of the hills and the white sand lying
between the stones that everywhere strewed the plain along
which they were travelling, and the heat was terrible.
After travelling for three hours they halted for an hour,
and Jethro managed, with the poles, that had been brought
to form the framework of tents, and some cloths, to fasten
an awning over the baskets in which the girls were riding.
The camel had lain down as soon as they halted, and the
girls stepped into the baskets before they arose. They
gave a simultaneous cry as the animal rose. They had
prepared for him to rise on his forelegs, and when his hind
quarter suddenly rose in the air they were almost thrown
from their baskets.
"I don't like this creature a bit," Mysa said, as they
moved on. "Who would suppose that he was going to
get up the wrong way first? Besides, why does he keep on
grumbling? I am sure that Ruth and I cannot be such
a very heavy load for such a great beast. I believe he would
have bit us as we got in if the driver had not jerked the


318
THE FIRST HALT.
rope at its head. It must be much nicer to sit on a horse.
I am sure that looks easy enough."
"It is not so easy as it looks, Mysa," Chebron replied;
"besides, you know women never do ride horses."
"They do in our country," Amuba said. "When we get
there, Mysa, I will teach you how to sit on them."
"Ah! it is a long way off, Amuba," Mysa replied; "and
I believe this creature has made up his mind to shake us to
pieces as soon as he can."
"You should not try to sit stiff," Jethro said. "Sit quite
easily, and sway backwards and forwards with the motion
of the basket. You will soon get accustomed to it, and will
find that ere long you will be able to sleep as if in a
cradle."
They travelled on until the sun was just sinking, and then
prepared to camp for the night. They had brought with
them several skins of water, and from these a scanty drink
was given to each of the horses. A few handfuls of grain
were also served out to each. The drivers stuck their
spears firmly into the ground, and to these fastened them.
The camels were made to kneel down so as to form a square.
In the centre of this the tent was pitched for the girls, the
horses being arranged in a circle outside.
The men had all brought with them flat cakes, and with
these and a handful of dates they made their meal; and
there was no occasion for lighting a fire, for Jethro's party
had brought an ample store of cooked provisions for their
own use. In a short time quiet reigned in the camp. The
journey had been a hot and fatiguing one, and the men
wrapping themselves in their cloaks lay down, each by his
spear, and were soon asleep, with the exception of four who
took their posts as sentries. Jethro had agreed with Amuba
and Chebron that they also would divide the night between
them, taking it by turns to keep watch.
The men of the escort were, however, of opinion that
there was very little probability of any attack before morn-


THE JOURNEY INTERRUPTED.
319
ing, even had they been watched by a party among the
hills.
"They could hardly hope to take us by surprise, for they
would be sure that we should set a watch in the darkness.
They could not make their way down the hills without some
noise; besides, they believe the powers of evil are potent
at night, and seldom stir out of their camps after dark. If
we are attacked at all, it is likely to be just before sunrise."
Jethro had therefore arranged that Chebron should keep
the first watch, Amuba the second, and that he himself
would take charge four hours before daylight
The night passed without any cause for alarm. As soon
as daylight broke the camp was astir. Another ration of
water and grain was served out to the horses, a hasty meal
was made by the men, and just as the sun rose the cavalcade
moved on. They had journeyed but half a mile, when from
behind a spur of the hills running out in the plain a large
party were seen to issue forth. There must have been fully
a hundred of them, of whom some twenty were mounted
and the rest on foot The travellers halted and had a short
consultation. Jethro with one of the escort then rode out
to meet the advancing party, waving a white cloth in token
of amity. Two of the Arabs rode forward to meet them. It
was some time before Jethro returned to the party, who
were anxiously awaiting the termination of the colloquy.
"What do they say, Jethro?" Amuba asked as he
rode up.
"He says, to begin with, that we ought to have pur-
chased from him the right of travelling across the country.
I said that I would gladly have paid a moderate sum had I
been aware that such was required, but that as he was not
in iElana I could not tell that he claimed such a right At
the same time I was ready to make an offer of four rolls of
Egyptian cloth. He rejected the offer with scorn, and after
a long conversation let me know pretty plainly that he
intended to take all our goods and animals, and that we


DEFEAT OF THE ARABS.
321
Trusting to their somewhat superior numbers the Arab
horsemen advanced to meet them; but Jethro's party, obeying
his orders to keep in a close line together with their spears
levelled in front of them, rode right over the Arabs, who
came up singly and without order. Men and horses rolled
over together, several of the former transfixed by the spears
of the horsemen. Jethro called upon his men to halt, and
turned upon the Arabs.
Some of the latter fled towards the footmen, who were
running up to their assistance, but were pursued and cut
down. Others fought to the last silently and desperately;
but these, too, were slain. As soon as the footmen ap-
proached they opened fire with slings and stones. Jethro
rallied his men and formed them in line again, and at their
head charged the Arabs. The latter fought steadily.
Giving way for a moment, they closed in round the little
party of horsemen, throwing their javelins, and hacking at
them with their swords. Jethro spurred his horse into
their midst, dealing blows right and left with his heavy
axe. His followers pressed after him, and after hard fighting
cut their way through their opponents.
Again and again the manoeuvre was repeated, the resist-
ance of the Arabs weakening, as most of their best men had
fallen, while the large shields carried by the horsemen re-
pelled the greater part of the missiles they hurled at them.
Another minute or two and the Arabs broke and fled from
the hills, leaving over twenty of their number on the
ground, in addition to the whole of their mounted men.
Jethro had now time to look round, and saw for the first
time that he had not, as he supposed, been engaged with
the whole of the enemy's party. While some fifty of
them had attacked him, the rest had made direct for the
Camels, and were now gathered in a mass around them.
With a shout to his men to follow him Jethro galloped at
(481) x


SERIOUS WOUNDS.
323
After an examination of their wounds Jethro was able to
say that he did not think that any of them would have very
serious consequences. Both had been wounded in the leg
with javelins, the side of Chebron's face was laid open by a
sword cut, and a spear had cut through the flesh and
grazed the ribs on the right side.
Amuba's most serious wound had been inflicted by a
javelin thrown at him sideways. This had passed com-
pletely through his back under both shoulder-blades, and
had broken off there. Jethro cut off the ragged end, and
taking hold of the point protruding behind the left arm,
drew the shaft through. Then taking some of the ban-
dages from the girls, he bound up all the wounds, and
then proceeded to examine those of the men who were
already occupied in staunching the flow of blood from
their comrades' wounds. It was found that one of the
defenders of the square was dead and three others severely
wounded
.
Of Jethro's party two had fallen, and all had received
wounds more or less severe. Had it not been for the shields
that covered their bodies, few would have emerged alive
from the conflict; but these gave them an immense advan-
tage over the Arabs, who carried no such means of protec-
tion. The owner of the camels had escaped unhurt, having
remained during the fight hidden under some bales. As
soon as the wounds were all bandaged, and a drink of wine
and water had been served out to each, the camels were
unbound and permitted to rise.
Three of the men most seriously wounded, being unable
to sit on their horses, were placed on the bales carried by
camels, and the party again set out. It was well that they
were obliged to proceed at the pace of the camels, for several
men could scarcely sit their horses, and could not have done
so at a pace exceeding a walk.


324
COMPARING NOTES.
"Now, Amuba, let us hear about your fight," Jethro said.
"I have not had time to ask a question yet."
"There is nought to tell," Amuba said. "We saw you
charge down upon their horsemen and destroy them, and
then ride into the middle of their foot. At once a party of
about thirty strong detached themselves and made straight
for us. As soon as they came within range of our arrows
we began. I shot four before they reached us, and I think
Chebron did the same; but the men with us shot but poorly,
and I do not think that they can have killed more than
seven or eight between them. However, altogether, that
accounted for about half their number, and there were only
about fifteen who got up to a hand-to-hand fight with us.
For a bit, aided by our breastwork, we kept them out . But
at last they managed to spring over, and although we were
doing our best, and several of them had fallen, we had been
wounded, and it would have gone very hard with us in
another minnte or two if you had not come up to the rescue.
Now let us hear what you were doing."
Jethro then described the encounter he and his party had
had with the footmen.
"They fight well, these Arabs," he said, "and it was well
for us that we all carried shields; for had we not done so
they would have riddled us with their javelins. As you see,
I had a narrow escape; for had that dart that went through
my ear been an inch or two to the right it would have
pierced my eye. I have two or three nasty gashes with
their swords on the legs, and I think that most of the other
men came out worse than I did. It was lucky that they did
not strike at the horses; but I suppose they wanted them,
and so avoided inflicting injury on them. However, it has
been a tough fight, and we are well out of it. I hope I shall
not be called on to use my battle-axe again until I am
fighting in the ranks of the Rebu."


326
A SIX months' journey.
cases boiled herbs of medicinal virtue were applied as
poultices to the wounds.
Petra at that time was but a large village, but it after-
wards rose into a place of importance. The travellers
remained here for a week, at the end of which time all
save two were in a fit state to continue their journey.
Without further adventure the journey was continued to
Moab. On their arrival here the escort was dismissed, each
man receiving a present in addition to the stipulated rate of
pay that they were to draw upon their return to ^Elana.
Moab was a settled country. It contained no large towns;
but the population, which was considerable, was gathered
in small villages of low stone-built houses, similar to those
in Petra. The inhabitants were ready to trade. Their
language was strange to Jethro and Amuba; but it was
closely related to that spoken by Ruth, and she generally
acted as interpreter between Jethro and the natives. After
travelling through Moab, they took the caravan road across
the desert to the north-east, passed through the oasis of
Palmyra, a large and flourishing city, and then journeyed
on to the Euphrates. They were now in the country of the
Assyrians, and not wishing to attract attention or questions,
they avoided Nineveh and the other great cities, and kept
on their way north until they reached the mountainous
country lying between Assyria and the Caspian.
They met with many delays upon the way, and it was six
months after leaving ^Elana before, after passing through a
portion of Persia, they reached the country inhabited by the
scattered tribes known by the general name of Medes, and to
whom the Rebu were related. Through this country Thotmes
had carried his arms, and most of the tribes acknowledged the
dominion of Egypt, ana paid a tribute to that country, Egyp-
tian garrisons being scattered here and there among them.
Jethro and Amuba now felt at home, but as they deter-


AMONG THE REBU.
327
mined that when they reached their own country they
would, until they found how matters were going on there,
disguise their identity, they now travelled as Persian
traders. Long before reaching Persia they had disposed
of the stock of goods with which they started, and had now
supplied themselves with articles of Persian manufacture.
They thus passed on unquestioned from village to village,
as the trade in those regions was entirely carried on by
Persian merchants, that country having already attained a
comparatively high amount of civilization; while the Median
tribes, although settled down into fixed communities, had
as yet but little knowledge of the arts of peace. The party
journeyed in company with some Persian traders, and gradu-
ally worked their way north until they arrived at the first
Rebu village.
They had many times debated the question of the part
they should here play, and had agreed that it would be
better to continue to maintain their character as Persian
traders until they had learned the exact position of affairs.
In order to be able to keep up their disguise they had laid in
a fresh stock of Persian goods at the last large town through
which they passed. Had Jethro been alone he could at
once have declared himself, and would have been received
with joy as one who had made his way back from captivity
in Egypt; but for Amuba there would have been danger in
his being recognized until the disposition of the occupant of
the throne was discovered. There would, indeed, have been
small chance of his being recognized had he been alone.
Nearly four years had elapsed since he had been carried
away captive, and he had grown from a boy into a powerful
young man; but had Jethro been recognized his companion's
identity might have been suspected, as he was known to have
been the special mentor and companion of the young prince.
As to Amuba he had no desire whatever to occupy the


"MY MIND IS MADE UP NOW."
331
wise, for you will appear before the people not only as their
rightful king but as their liberator from the hated Egyptian
yoke."
"You are right, Jethro," Amuba said after a long silence;
"it is my duty to assert my rights and to restore the land
to freedom. My mind is made up now. What is your
advice in the matter I"
"I should journey through the land until we reach a port
by the sea frequented by Persian traders, and should there
leave the two girls in charge of the family of some trader in
that country; there they can remain in tranquillity until
matters are settled. Chebron will, I am sure, insist upon
sharing our fortunes. Our long wanderings have made a
man of him, too. They have not only strengthened his
frame and hardened his constitution, but they have given
stability to his character. He is thoughtful and prudent,
and his advice will always be valuable, while of his courage
I have no more doubt than I have of yours. When you
have once gained your kingdom you will find in Chebron
a wise councillor, one on whom you can lean in all times of
difficulty.
"When we have left the girls behind we will continue
our journey through the land, and gradually put ourselves
into communication with such governors of towns and other
persons of influence as we may learn to be discontented
with the present state of things, so that when we strike our
blow the whole country will declare for you at once. As
we travel we will gradually collect a body of determined
men for the surprise of the capital. There must be numbers
of my old friends and comrades still surviving, and there
should be no difficulty in collecting a force capable of
capturing the city by a surprise."
Jethro's plans were carried out, and the girls placed under
the care of the wife of a Persian trader in a seaport close to


THE GATHERING.
333
was therefore necessary, and Jethro soon made himself
known, and began to enlist men to the service. This he
had no difficulty in doing. The news that an attempt was
at once to be made to overthrow the usurper and to free the
land of the Egyptians, and that at the proper time the right-
ful king would present himself and take the command, was
received with enthusiasm.
In each valley through which they passed the whole of the
young men enrolled themselves, receiving orders to remain
perfectly quiet and to busy themselves in fabricating arms,
of which the land had been stripped by the Egyptians, until
a messenger arrived summoning them to meet at a rendez-
vous on an appointed day.
In six weeks the numbers of the enrolled had reached
the point that was considered necessary for the enterprise,
and a day was fixed on which they were to assemble among
the hills a few miles distant from the town. Upon the
appointed day the bands began to arrive. Jethro had pur-
chased cattle and provisions, and receiving each band as it
arrived formed them into companies and appointed their
leaders. Great fires were lighted, and the cattle slaughtered.
Chebron aided in the arrangements; but Amuba, by Jethro's
advice, passed the day in a small tent that had been pitched
in the centre of the camp.
By the evening the whole of the contingents had arrived,
and Jethro saw with satisfaction the spirit that animated
them all, and the useful if somewhat rough weapons that
they had fashioned. When all assembled he drew them up
in a body; and after a speech that excited their patriotic
feelings to the utmost, he went to the tent, and leading
Amuba forth presented him to them as their king.
He had in his journeys through the towns procured from
some of the principal men arms and armour fitted for per-
'sons of high rank, which had been lying concealed since the


THE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS.
335
to be suddenly attacked. Amuba, with the main body, was
to approach the city late in the evening, and to station them-
selves near one of the gates.
Jethro was before the hour named for the attack to see
whether this gate was open and unguarded, and if he found
that it was closed and under charge of an Egyptian guard,
he was to tell off fifty men of his command to attack
and overpower the Egyptians, and throw open the gate the
instant they heard the trumpet, which was to be the signal
for the attack of the palace. Jethro's party were, therefore,
the first to start, going off in little groups, some to the neigh-
bouring ports, others direct to the city. Jethro himself was
the last to set out, having himself given instructions to each
group as they started as to their behaviour and entry into
the city, and the rendezvous at which they were to assemble.
He also arranged that if at any time they should hear his call
upon the horn, which was to be repeated by three or four
of his followers, who were provided with similar instru-
ments, they were to hurry to the spot at the top of their
speed.
"One can never tell," he said, when he told Amuba
the orders he had given, "what may happen. I believe
that every man here is devoted to you, but there may al-
ways be one traitor in a crowd; but even without that, some
careless speech on the part of one of them, a quarrel with
one of the king's men or with an Egyptian, and the number
of armed men in the city might be discovered, for others
would run up to help their comrade, and the broil would
grow until all were involved. Other reasons might render
it advisable to strike at an earlier hour than I arranged."
"I cannot think so," Amuba replied. "I should say if
anything were to precipitate affairs it would be most prejudi-
cial. You, with your small force, would be certain to be
overwhelmed by the large body of followers whom, as we


336
JETHRO'S PLAN.
have learned, the king keeps in his palace, to say nothing of
the Egyptians. In that case not only would you lose your
lives, but you would put them so thoroughly upon their
guard, that our enterprise at night would have little chance
of success."
"That is true," Jethro said; "and I certainly do not mean
to make the slightest variation from the plan we agreed
upon unless I am driven to it. Still it is as well to be pre-
pared for everything."
"Of course I know that you will do nothing that is rash,
Jethro. After being all these years my guide and councillor,
I know that you would do nothing to endanger our success
now that it seems almost assured."
Jethro had in fact a reason for wishing to be able to col-
lect his men suddenly which he had not mentioned to Amuba.
He thought it possible that, as he had said, at the last mo-
ment the plot might by some means or other be discovered.
And his idea was that if that were the case he would instantly
gather his followers and attack the palace, trusting to sur-
prise and to his knowledge of the building in the endeavour
to fight his way to the king's abode and slay him there,
even if he himself and his men were afterwards surrounded
and cut to pieces. The usurper once removed, Jethro had
no doubt that the whole nation would gladly acknowledge
Amuba, who would then have only the Egyptian garrison
to deal with.
No such accident, however, happened. The men entered
the town unnoticed. Those who had come by boat, and
who were for the most part natives of villages along the
shore, remained in the lower town near the landing-place.
Such of them as had friends went to their houses. Those
who entered the gates sauntered about the town singly or
in pairs, and as their weapons were hidden they attracted
no notice, having the appearance of men who had come in


WAITING FOR NIGHTFALL.
337
from the country round to dispose of their produce or the
spoils of the chase, or to exchange them for such articles as
were required at home. Jethro went at once to the house
of an old friend with whom he had already communicated
by messenger.
The house was situated on the open space facing the
palace. Here from time to time he received messages from
his sub-leaders, and learned that all was going on well . He
heard that the continual rumours from the country of the
approaching return of the son of the late king had at last
caused some anxiety to the usurper, who had that morning
seized and thrown into prison several leading men who were
known to be personally attached to the late king. Not
indeed that he believed that Amuba could have returned;
but he thought it possible that some impostor might be
trading on his name.
Several bodies of men had been despatched from the
town to the places whence these rumours had been received,
to ascertain what truth there was in them, and to suppress
at once any signs of revolt against the king's authority.
This was highly satisfactory news to Jethro, as in the first
place it showed that the king did not dream of danger in his
capital; and, in the second place, it reduced the number of
fighting men in the palace to a number but slightly exceed-
ing the force at his own disposal.
Jethro did not stir abroad until nightfall, his face being
so well known in the town that he might at any moment be
recognized. But as soon as it was dark he went out, and,
accompanied by his friend, went round the town. He found
that some changes had taken place since he had last been
there. The Egyptians had entirely cleared away the huts
towards the end of the rock farthest from the sea, and had
there erected large buildings for the use of the governor, offi-
cers, and troops; and had run a wall across from the walls on
(481) Y


338
THE EGYPTIAN GARRISON.
either side, entirely separating their quarter from the rest of
the town. Jethro's friend informed him that the erection of
these buildings had greatly added to the hatred with which
the Egyptians were regarded, as they had been erected with
forced labour, the people being driven in by thousands, and
compelled to work for many months at the buildings.
Jethro learned that as soon as the inner wall was com-
pleted the Egyptians had ceased altogether to keep watch
at the gates of the city walls, but that they had for a long
time kept a vigilant guard at the gate leading to their
quarters through the new wall. For the last year, however,
owing to the absence of any spirit of revolt among the Rebu,
and to their confidence in the friendship of the king, they
had greatly relaxed their vigilance.
By nine o'clock all was quiet in the town. Jethro sent out
a messenger by the road by which Amuba's force would
approach, to tell him that the city walls were all unguarded,
and that he had better enter by the gate half an hour before
midnight, instead of waiting until he heard the signal for
attack. He could then move his men up close to the Egyp-
tian wall so as to attack that gate when the signal was given,
otherwise the Egyptians would be put on their guard by
the sound of fighting at the palace before he could arrive at
their gate.
At the time he had named Jethro went to the gate by
which Amuba was to enter, and soon heard a faint confused
noise, and a minute or two later a dark mass of men were at
the path at the gate. They were headed by Amuba. Jethro
at once explained to him the exact position; and his com-
panion placed himself by the side of Amuba to act as his
guide to the Egyptian wall
.
Jethro then returned to the rendezvous, where his men
were already drawn up in order. Midnight was now close
at hand. Quietly the band crossed the square to the gate


340
JETHRO COUNSELS DELAY.
the moment before stared them in the face, and to swear
allegiance to their rightful king. As Jethro ceased, there-
fore, shouts of "Long live Amuba, king of the Rebu!" rose
from them
.
"Form up in order instantly under your captains," Jethro
commanded, "and follow us."
The fray had been so short that it was but ten minutes
from the moment when Jethro's horn had given the signal
for attack to that when he led his force, now increased to
twice its former dimensions, to the assistance of Amuba.
When he reached the wall that separated the Egyptian
barracks from the rest of the town he found that Amuba had
entered without resistance and had captured two or three
buildings nearest to the gate, surprising and slaying their
occupants; but beyond that he had made no progress. The
Egyptians were veterans in warfare, and after the first
moment of surprise had recovered their coolness, and with
their flights of arrows so swept the open spaces between the
buildings that the Rebu could make no progress.
Jethro ordered the troops who had just joined him, all of
whom carried bows and arrows, to ascend the walls and
open fire upon the buildings occupied by the Egyptians.
Then he with his own band joined Amuba.
"All has gone well," he said. "The palace is captured
and Amusis slain. I would do nothing further to-night
.
The Egyptians are four thousand strong, while we have but
half that number. It would be madness to risk a repulse
now. I will send off messengers at once to the governors
of all the towns and to our friends there, informing them
that the usurper is slain, that you are proclaimed king and
are now besieging the Egyptians in their quarters, and
ordering them to march hither at once with every man
capable of bearing arms.
"In three days we shall have twenty thousand men here,





A SUMMONS TO SURRENDER.
341
and the Egyptians, finding their position hopeless, will sur-
render; whereas, if you attack now, we may be repulsed
and you may be slain, and in that case the country, left
without a leader, will fall again into slavery."
Amuba, whose armour had already been pierced by several
arrows and who was bleeding freely, was with some difficulty
persuaded by Jethro to adopt his counsel. He saw at last
that it was clearly the wisest plan to adopt, and orders were
at once issued to the men to desist from further assaults, but
to content themselves with repelling any attacks the Egyp-
tians might make
.
These, however, were too ignorant as to the strength of
their assailants to think of taking the offensive, and until
morning both sides contented themselves with keeping up
an incessant fire of arrows against the openings in the build-
ings occupied by their foes. In the morning Amuba ordered
some green branches to be elevated on the flat terrace of
the house he occupied. The signal was observed, and the
fire of the Egyptians ceased. As soon as it did so Jethro
presented himself on the terrace, and a minute or two later
the Egyptian governor appeared on the terrace of the oppo-
site building. Not a little surprised was he to hear himself
addressed in his own language.
"In the name of King Amuba, son of King Phrases and
lawful ruler of the Rebu, I, Jethro his general, summon you
to surrender. The usurper Amusis is dead and the whole
land has risen against you. Our force is overpowering—
resistance can only result in the death of every Egyptian
under your orders. Did we choose we could starve you out,
for we know that you have not more than a week's provi-
sions in your magazines.
"There is no possibility that assistance can reach you
No messenger could pass the watchers in the plain; and could
they do so your nearest force is hundreds of miles away,


342
THE TRIBUTE TO BE LOWERED.
and is of no strength to fight its way hither. In the name
of the king I offer to allow you to depart, carrying with you
your arms and standards. The king has been in your coun-
try. He knows how great and' powerful is your nation, and
fain would be on terms of friendship with it; therefore he
would inflict no indignity upon you . The tribute which
your king laid upon the land is far more than it can pay,
but the king will be willing to send every year, to the nearest
garrison to his frontiers, a tribute of gold and precious stones
of one-fifth the value of that which has been until now
wrung from the land. This he will do as a proof of the
honour in which he holds your great nation, and as a recog-
nition of its power. The king ordered me to say that he
will give you until to-morrow morning to reflect over his
offer. If it is refused the whole garrison will be put to the
sword."
So saying Jethro descended from the terrace, leaving the
Egyptians to consider the terms he proposed.
CHAPTER XX.
THE KINO OF THE REBU.
THE offer that Amuba had made through Jethro was a
politic one, and he was influenced by two motives in
granting a delay of twenty-four hours before receiving the
answer. In the first place, he felt sure that his own force
would, before the conclusion of that time, be trebled in
strength, and that should the Egyptians refuse he would be
able to repel any efforts they might make to cut their way
out until he would be at the head of such a force that he


344
ARMING THE PEOPLE.
those arrested the previous day, and many others of the
principal captains of his father's army, thronged round him
and greeted him as their king.
With difficulty a way was cleared to the gate of the royal
inclosure. Amuba, after entering, mounted the wall and
addressed a few words to the people. He told them that in
defiance of all probability he had escaped from his captivity
in Egypt and had made his way back to his native land,
intent not so much on claiming his rightful position there
as of freeing them from the power of their oppressors. He
promised them that he would always respect their rights
and usages, and should endeavour to follow in the footsteps
of his father. Then he retired to the palace, where he held
a council with the captains and leading men in the city.
Orders were at once issued for every man capable of bearing
arms to provide himself with some kind of weapon, and to
assemble at noon in the great square.
Lists were drawn up of all the officers of the late army
still living in the town, and when the gathering took place
at noon these were appointed to form the men into com-
panies, to appoint sub-officers, to see to the state of the arms,
and, as far as possible, to supply deficiencies. A larger pro-
portion than was expected of the three thousand men that
assembled were found to be provided with weapons. Al-
though nominally all arms had been surrendered to the
Egyptians great numbers of spear and arrow-heads, swords,
and axes had been buried. Shafts had been hastily made
for the spears, and bows used for the purposes of the chase
were now brought out to do service as fighting weapons.
Many hundreds of spears and swords had been found in
the stores at the palace, and when these were served out
most of the men had a weapon of some sort. They were at
once marched up to the Egyptian inclosure. Those with
bows and arrows were placed upon the walls, the rest were


346
A POLITIC SPEECH.
tian was astonished at finding that the king, as well as his
general, was capable of conversing in the Egyptian tongue);
"and, indeed, knowing and honouring the valour of the
Egyptian troops, I admit it is possible that, although with
great loss, you might make your way out, but more than
that you could not do. You could not hold the country,
for you have a nation against you. It is doubtful whether
you could reach the frontier. Surely it is better, then, that
you should leave with honour and without loss."
"As to the tribute that you offer," the Egyptian com-
mander said, "I have no power to agree to any diminution
of the terms imposed by the king, and if it be his will that
an army invades your country to enforce the former terms,
I, with the troops here, must march as ordered, without im-
putation of having behaved treacherously." i
"That is quite understood," Amuba said; "but I trust,
my lord, that you, having seen for yourself how poor is our
country, how utterly unable to continue to pay the tribute
formerly demanded from us, which has already impover-
ished us to the last degree, will represent the same in your
despatches to the king, and will use your good offices in
obtaining his favourable consideration of our case. I can
promise you that the tribute shall be paid regularly. I re-
gard Egypt as the greatest power in the world, and I am
most desirous to continue in friendly relations with it, and
I swear to you that it will be no fault of mine if any com-
plaint reach you of trouble on our part."
Amuba's speech was well calculated to soothe the pride
of the Egyptian. The latter was perfectly conscious, al-
though he spoke confidently, that it would be no easy
matter for his troops to cut their way through the narrow
gateway held by the masses of the Rebu, still less to make
their way, harassed as he was, to their frontier. If he i
returned with his troops intact and in good condition he


THE EVACUATION.
347
could so represent circumstances that no blame or discredit
would fall upon him; and personally he was exceedingly
pleased at the prospect of the termination of his soldiering
at a post so far removed from Egypt and civilization. He,
therefore, agreed to the terms Amuba proposed, and after
a short parley the conditions of the evacuation of the town
by the Egyptians were arranged.
Amuba agreed to withdraw his men from the buildings
that they occupied, and also from the gate, and to place them
all upon the walls, thus saving the Egyptians the humiliation
of passing through lines of armed men, and avoiding the
risk of a broil arising between the soldiers. He at once
issued the necessary orders, and the Rebu retired to the
walls where they could defend themselves in case of any
treachery on the part of the Egyptians, and the inhabitants
of the city were all ordered back from the road leading
from the entrance to the Egyptian inclosure to the gate in
the city walls. An hour later the Egyptians drew up in
order in their inclosure.
Each man carried with him food sufficient for a week's
subsistence, and Amuba had arranged that a certain number
of bullocks should be sent forward at once to each halting-
place on the way to the frontier, and that there a herd
sufficient for their subsistence during their march to the
nearest Egyptian garrison should be awaiting them. In firm
and steady order the Egyptians marched out . The images
and symbols of the gods were carried aloft, and the bearing
of the soldiers was proud and defiant, for they, too, were
doubtful whether the Rebu might not intend to make an
attack upon them, the terms granted them seeming to be
almost too good to be trusted. No sooner had the rear of
the column passed out through the city gate than the Rebu
with shouts of joy flocked down from the walls, and the city
gave itself up to rejoicing.


350
A DOUBLE MARRIAGE.
But Mysa did not say no, and six weeks later there was
a royal wedding in the capital. Amuba had at once allotted
one of the largest houses in the royal inclosure to Chebron, and
to this he took Mysa while Amuba was making the tour of
his country, receiving the homage of the people, hearing
complaints and seeing that the work of preparation for the
defence of the country was being carried on, after which he
returned to the capital The wedding was celebrated in
great state, though it was observed that the religious cere-
monies were somewhat cut short, and that Amuba abstained
from himself offering sacrifice on the altars of the gods.
The ceremony was a double one, for at the same time
Chebron was united to Ruth.
For the next year the preparations for war went on
vigorously and the Rebu army was got into a state of great
efficiency. Amuba and Jethro felt confident that it could
successfully withstand any invading force from Egypt, but,
as they had hoped, Egypt made no effort to regain her
distant conquest, but was content to rank the land of the
Rebu among the list of her tributary nations, and to accept
the diminished tribute.
Once prepared for war Amuba turned his attention to
the internal affairs of the country. Many of the methods
of government of Egypt were introduced. Irrigation was
carried out on a large scale, and the people were taught no
longer to depend solely upon their flocks and herds. Stone
took the place of mud in the buildings of the towns, rigorous
justice was enforced throughout the land, wagons and carts
similar to those of Egypt took the place of pack animals,
which had hitherto been used for transport; improved
methods of agriculture were taught, and contentment and
plenty reigned in the land.
Chebron remained Amuba's chief minister, adviser, and
friend, and under their joint efforts the Rebu rose from the


amuba's hardest task.
351
condition of a mere settled tribe to that of a small but
flourishing nation.
Another change was made, but more slowly. Soon after
his ascension Amuba assembled many of the leading men
and chief-priests in the country, and explained to them the
convictions held by himself and Chebron and their wives,
that there was but one God who ruled over the world, and
that this knowledge was the highest wisdom 8f the Egyp-
tians. He explained to the priests that he did not wish to
overthrow the temples, or disturb the worship of the former
gods, but that he desired that the people should not remain
in ignorance, but should be taught that the gods as they
worshipped them were hvt, sym'-ols of images of the one
great God. He said he had no thought of enforcing his
convictions upon others, but that all would be free to wor
ship as they pleased, and that at all times he and Chebron
would be ready to confer with those who wished to inquire
into these matters.
In this matter alone Amuba met with much opposition in
carrying out his plans, and had he been less popular than
he was with the people his efforts might have cost him his
throne and his life; but the Rebu were devoted to him, and
as the priests came gradually to see that the change would
not diminish their power, their opposition died away, es-
pecially as many of the younger men were soon convinced
by the arguments of the king and his minister, and preached
the new religion with enthusiasm among the people. But
it was not until many years after that Amuba had the
satisfaction of knowing that the one God was worshipped
among his people. He was well aware that the success of
the work was to no small extent due to the earnestness with
which Mysa and Ruth had laboured among the wives and
daughters of the nobles.
"How strangely things turn out," Chebron said one day


352
"THE FORTUNATE SHOT."
ten years after their arrival in the land, when the little
party who had travelled so long together were gathered
in a room in the palace. "At one time it seemed that that
unlucky shot of mine would not only bring ruin on all
connected with me, but be a source of unhappiness to me to
the end of my life. Now I see that, except for the death
of my father, it was the most fortunate event of my life. But
for that, I should all my life have gone on believing in the
gods of Egypt; but for that, although you, Amuba and
Jethro, might some day have made your escape, Mysa and
I would assuredly never have left Egypt, never have known
anything of the life of happiness and usefulness that we
now enjoy. All this I consider I owe to the fortunate
shot that killed the Cat of Bubastes."
nre END.



BLACKIE & SON'S
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Mr. Henty's stores of literary vivacity are inexhaustible, and boys will find
their old favourite as full of instruction and of excitement as ever."—The Times.
In crown 8voy cloth elegant, olivine edges.
With Frederick the Great: A Tale of the Seven Years'
War. By G. A. Henty. With 12 page Illustrations by Wal
Paget, and Maps. 6*.
"The story is one of Mr. Henty's best, and so cleverly is history interwoven
with fiction that the boy who reads it will know as much about the Seven Years'
War as many an adult student of Carlyle's masterpiece. "Standard.
With MOOre at Corunna: A Tale of the Peninsular War.
By G. A. Henty. With 12 page Illustrations by Wal Paget. 6s.
"A very spirited story, well worthy to be ranked with the best of Mr. Henty's
work. Terence O'Connor, up to the time of the opening of the tale, has done little
hut get into mischief, but as soon as he feels the responsibility of being one of Mr.
Henty's heroes, combines discretion with courage, not forgetting, however, to spice
the mixture with a little fun."—Spectator,
The Tiger Of Mysore: A Story of the War with Tippoo
Sub. By G. A. Henty. With 12 Illustrations by W. H. Mar-
GET90X, and a Map. 6s.
"Mr. Henty not only concocts a thrilling tale, he weaves fact and fiction to-
gether with so skilful a hand that the reader cannot help acquiring a just nud
clear view of that fierce and terrible struggle which gave to us our Indian Em-
pire."—Atheiuxum.
A Knight of the White Cross: A Tale of the Siege of
Rhodes. By G. A. Henty. With 12 full-page Illustrations by
Ralph Peacock. 6«.
"Mr. Henty is a giant among boys' writers, and his books are sufficiently
popular to be sure of a welcome anywhere. ... In stirring interest, this is
quite up to the level of Mr. Henty's former historical tales."—Saturday Review.
When London Burned: A Story of Restoration Times and
the Great Fire. By G. A. Henty. With 12 page Illustrations
by J. Finnemore. 6s.
"No boy needs to have any story of Henty's recommended to him, and parcnta
who do not know and buy him for their boys should be ashamed of themselves.
Those to whom he is yet unknown could not make a better beginning than with
When London Burned."—British Weekly.
HI 1 O 41 A


From WITH MOORE AT CORUNNA.
By G. A. Henty.

TERENCE FINDS THAT THE SEA HORSE HAS BEEN BADLY
MAuLED BETWEEN-DECKS.


4 BLACKIE ic SON' S BOOKS FOR YOUNQ PEOPLE.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Among writers of stories of adventure Mr. Henty stands In the very first
rank. "—Academy.
In crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges.
The Young" Carthaginian: A Story of the Times of
Hannibal. By G. A. Henty. With 12 page Illustrations by C. J.
.Staniland, B.I. 6s.
"From first to last nothing stays the interest of the narrative. It bear s us
along as on a stream whose current varies in direction, but never loses its
force."—Saturday Jieview.
Redskin and Cow-boy: A Tale of the Western Plains. By
G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Alfred Pearse. 6s.
"It has a good plot; it abounds in action; the scenes are equally spirited and
alistic. The pictures of life on a cattle ranche are most graphically painted,
as are the manners of the reckless but jovial cow-boys."—Times.
The Lion Of the NOFth: A Tale of Gustavus Adolphus.
By G. A. Henty. With 12 page Pictures by J. Schonbero. 6s.
"A praiseworthy attempt to interest British youth in the great deeds of the
Scotch Brigade in the wars of Gustavus Adolphus."—Athenceum.
With Clive in India: or, The Beginnings of an Empire.
By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 6s.
"Those who know something about India will be the most ready to thank
Mr. Henty for giving them this instructive volume to place in the hands of their
children."—Academy.
In Greek Waters: A Story of the Grecian War of Inde-
pendence (1821-1827). By G. A. Henty. With 12 page Illus-
trations by W. S. Stacey, and a Map. 6s.
"An excellent story, and if the proportion of history is smaller than usual, the
whole result leaves nothing to be desired."—Journal of Education.
The Dash for Khartoum: A Tale of the Nile Expedition.
By G. A. Henty. With 10 page Illustrations by J. Sohonberg and
J. Nash, and 4 Plans. 6s.
"It is literally true that the narrative never flags for a moment; the incidents
which fall to be recorded after the dash for Khartonm has been made and failed
are quite as interesting as those which precede it."—Academy.
With Lee in Virginia: A Story of the American Civil
War. By G. A. Henty. With 10 page Illustrations by Gordon
Browne, and 6 Maps. 6s.
"The story is a capital one and full of variety. Young Wingfleld, who is
conscientious, spirited, and 'hard ns nails', would have been a man after the
very heart of Stonewall Jackson."- 7'imee.
By Right Of Conquest: or, With Cortez in Mexico. By
G. A. Henty. With 10 page Illustrations by W. S. Stacey. 6s.
"By Bight of Conquext is the nearest approach to a perfectly successful histori-
cal tale that Mr. Henty has yet published."—Academy.


BLACK IE * SON'S BOOKS FOR YOU HO PEOPLE
5
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Mr. Henty is the king of story-tellers for boys."—Sword and Trowel.
In crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olieine edges.
Through the Fray: A Story of the Luddite Riots. By
(i.A. HenTY.With
12 page Illustra-
tions by H. M.
Paget. 6s.
"One of the best of the
many good books he has
produced, and deserves to
he classed with his Facing
Death. "—Standard.
Captain Bayley's
Heir: A Tale of
the Gold Fields.
By G. A. Henty.
Illustrated by H.
M. Paget. 6s.
"A Westminster boy who
makes his way in the world
by hard work, good temper,
and unfailing courage."—
St. James's Gazette.
St. Bartholo-
mew's Eve.
By G. A. Henty.
Illustrated by H.
J. Draper. 6s.
"Is in Mr. Henty's best
style, and the interest
never flags."—Journal of
Education.
In Freedom's Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce. By
G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 6s.
"His tale of the days of Wallace and Bruce is full of stirring action, and will
commend itself to boys. "—A thenceum.
With Cochrane the Dauntless-. A Tale of the Exploits
of Lord Cochrane in South American Waters. By G. A. Henty.
With 12 page Illustrations by W. H. Margetson. 6s.
*' This tale we specially recommend; for the career of Lord Cochrane and his
many valiant lights in the cause of liberty deserve to be better known than they
are."—St. James's Gazette.

Reduced Illustration
from" With Frederick the Great".


6
BLACK1E <* SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNO PEOPLE.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Mr. Henty is one of the best of story-tellers for young people."—Spectator.
In crown Svo, cloth elegant, olivine edges.
BeriC the Briton: A Story of the Roman Invasion. By
G. A. Henty. Illustra-
ted by W. Parkinson.
6s.
"Mr. Henty has done his
utmost to make an impressive
picture of the haughty Roman
character, with its indomit-
able courage, sternness, and
discipline. Beric is good all
through. "—Spectator.
By Pike and Dyke:
A Tale of the Rise of
the Dutch Republic.
By G. A. Henty.
With 10 page Illustra-
tions by Maynard
Brown, and 4 Maps.
"Told with a vividness and
skill worthy of Mr. Henty at
his best."—Academy.
Wulf the Saxon:
A Story of the Nor-
man Conquest. By G.
A. Henty. Illustrated
by Ralph Peacock.
Reduved Illustration from "Beric the Briton ". 6s.
"Wulf the Saxon is second to none of Mr. Henty's historical tales, and we may
safely say that a boy may learn from it more genuine history than he will from
many a tedious tome."—The Spectator.

Through the Sikh War:
Punjaub. By G. A. Henty.
Hurst, and a Map. 6s.
"We have never read a more vivid and faithful narrative of military adven-
ture in India."—The Academy.
Under Drake's Flag": A Tale of the Spanish Main. By
G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 6s.
"There is not a dull chapter, nor, indeed, a dull page in the book; the author
has so carefully worked up his subject that the exciting deeds of his heroes
are never incongruous or absurd."—Observer.
A Tale of the Conquest of the
With 12 page Illustrations by Hal


BLACKIE <t SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNO PEOPLE.
7
BY G. A. HENTY.
"G. A. Henty more than holds his own as the prince of story-tellers for boys."
—St. James's Gazette.
In crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges.
A MaPCh on London: Being a Story of Wat Tyler's Insur-
rection. By G. A. Henty. With 8 page Illustrations by W. H.
Maroetson. 5«.
"Mr. Henty, true as ever, tells a capital story, and keeps up to the high stan-
dard of interest which we have learnt to expect from him.' — Spectator.
"The story of Wat Tyler's ever-famous insurrection is set forth with a degree
of cunning and an eye for effect that may always be looked for in the work that
comes from this practised hand. Mr. Henty deals with troublesome times and
with characters that have left their mark on the pages of history. He is fresh,
virile, and never dull, and this volume must needs add to his reputation."—Daily
Telegraph.
On the Irrawaddy: A Story of the first Burmese War.
With 8 Illustrations by W. H. Overend. Crown 8vo, cloth
elegant, olivine edges, 5a.
"Altogether this is a capital story, and the descriptions of the Burmese cities
are very good."—The Times.
"Stanley Brook's pluck is even greater than his luck, and he is precisely the
boy to hearten with emulation the boys who read his stirring story."—Saturday
Review.
Through Russian SnowS: A Story of Napoleon's Betreat
from Moscow. By G. A. Henty. With 8 Illustrations by W. H.
Overend, and a Map. 5i.
"Julian, the hero of the story, early excites our admiration, and is altogether
a fine character such as boys will delight in, whilst the story of the campaign is
very graphically told. . . . Will, we think, prove one of the most popular boys'
books this season."—St. James's Gazette.
In the Heart Of the ROCkies: A Story of Adventure in
Colorado. By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by G. C. Hindley. 5«.
"Few Christmas books will be more to the taste of the ingenuous boy than In
the Heart of the Rockies."—Athenceum.
"Mr. Henty is seen here at his best as an artist in lightning fiction."—Academy.
One Of the 28th: A Tale of Waterloo. By G. A. Henty.
With 8 page Illustrations by W. H. Overend, and 2 Maps. 5s.
"Written with Homeric vigour and heroic inspiration. It is graphic, pictur-
esque, and dramatically effective . . . shows us Mr. Henty at his best and
brightest. The adventures will hold a boy of a winter's night enthralled as he
rushes through them with breathless interest 'from cover to cover'."—Observer.
Facing' Death: or, The Hero of the Vaughan Pit. A Tale of
the Coal Mines. By G. A. Henty. With 8 page Pictures by
Gordon Browne. 5«.
"If any father, godfather, clergyman, or schoolmaster is on the look-out for a
good book to give as a present to a boy who is worth his salt, this is the book we
would recommend."—Standard.


8
BLACKIE < t SON'S BOOKS FOR TOUNO PEOPLE.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Ask for Heuty, and we that you get him."—Punch.
In croicn 8 do, cloth elegant, olivine edges.
The Cat Of Bubastes: A Story of Ancient Egypt . By
G. A. Henty. Illustrated by J. R. Weourlin. 5«.
"The story, from the critical moment of the killing of the sacred cat to the
perilous exodus into Asia with which it closes, is very skilfully constructed and
full of exciting adventures. It is admirably illustrated."—Saturday Review.
Maori and Settler: A Story of the New Zealand War. By
G. A . Henty. With 8 page Illustrations by Alfred Pearse. 5s.
"It is a book which all young people, but especially boys, will read with
avidity."—AtheiuEum.
"A first-rate book for boys, brimful of adventure, of humorous and interesting
conversation, and of vivid pictures of colonial life.' —Schoolmaster.
St. George for England: A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers.
By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 5s.
"A story of very great interest for boys. In his own forcible style the author
has endeavoured to show that determination and enthusiasm can accomplish mar-
vellous results; and that courage is generally accompanied by magnanimity and
gentleness."—Pall Mall Gazette.
The Bravest Of the Brave: With Peterborough in Spain.
By G. A . Henty. With 8 full-page Pictures by H. M. Paget. 5«.
"Mr. Henty never loses sight of the moral purpose of his work—to enforce the
doctrine of courage and truth, mercy and lovingkindness, as indispensable to the
making of an English gentleman. British lads will read The Bravest of the
Brave with pleasure and profit; of that we are quite sure."—Daily Telegraph.
For Name and Fame: or, Through Afghan Passes. By
G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 5«.
"Not only a rousing story, replete with all the varied forms of excitement of a
campaign, but, what is still more useful, an account of a territory and its inhabi-
tants which must for a long time possess a supreme interest for Englishmen, as
beiug the key to our Indian Empire."—Glasgow Herald.
A Jacobite Exile: Being the Adventures of a Young English-
man in the Service of Charles XII. of Sweden. By G. A. Henty.
With 8 page Illustrations by Padl Hardy, and a Map. 5s.
"Incident succeeds incident, and adventure is piled upon adventure, and at the
end the reader, be he boy or man, will have experienced breathless enjoyment
in a romantic story that must have taught him much at its close."—Army and
Na vy Gazette.
Held Fast for England: A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar.
By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 5s.
"Among them we would place first in interest and wholesome educational
alue the story of the siege of Gibraltar. . . . There is no cessation of exciting
Incident throughout the story."—Athenamm.


BLACK1E * SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNQ PEOPLE.
9
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Mr. Henty's books are always alive with moving incident. "—Review 0/ Reviews.
In crown 8i>o, cloth elegant.
Condemned as a Nihilist: A Story of Escape from Siberia.
By 6. A. Henty. Illustrated by Walter Paget. 5s.
"The belt of this year's Henty. Hii narrative is more interesting than many
of the tales with which the public is familiar, of escape from Siberia. Despite
their superior claim to authenticity these tales are without doubt no less fic-
titious than Mr. Henty's, and he beats them hollow in the matter of sensations."
—National Observer.
Orange and Green: A Tale of the Boyue and Limerick.
By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Gobdon Browne. 5«.
"The narrative is free from the vice of prejudice, and ripples with life as
vivacious as if what is being described were really passing before the eye. . . .
Should be in the hands of every young student of Irish history."—Belfast News.
In the Reign Of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster
Boy. By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by J. Schonbebg. 5«.
"Harry Sandwith, the Westminster boy, may fairly be said to beat Mr. Henty's
record. His adventures will delight boys by the audacity and peril they depict.
The story is one of Mr. Henty's best."—Saturday Review.
By Sheer PlUCk: A Tale of the Ashanti War. By G. A.
Henty. With 8 full-page Pictures by Gordon Browne. 5».
"Morally, the book is everything that could be desired, setting before the boys
a bright and bracing ideal of the English gentleman."— Christian Leader.
The Dragon and the Raven: or, The Days of King
Alfred. By G. A . Henty. With 8 page Illustrations by 0. J.
Staniland, B.I. 5>.
"A story that may justly be styled remarkable. Boys, in reading ft, will be
surprised to And how Alfred persevered, through years of bloodshed and times
of peace, to rescue his people from the thraldom of the Danes. We hope the
book will soon be widely known in all our schools."—Schoolmaster.
A Final Reckoning: A Tale of Bush Life in Australia.
By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by W. B. Wollen. 5«.
"All boys will read this story with eager and unflagging interest . The episodes
are in Mr. Henty's very best vein—graphic, exciting, realistic; and, as in all Mr.
Henty's books, the tendency is to the formation of an honourable, manly, and
even heroic character."—Birmingham Post.
The Young Colonists: A Tale of the Zulu and Boer Wars.
By G. A. Henty. With 6 Illustrations by Simon H. Vedder. 3s. 60!.
"Fiction and history are so happily blended that the record of facts quicken
the imagination. No boy can read this book without learning a great deal of
South African history at its most critical period."--Standard.
A Chapter Of Adventures: or, Through the Bombard-
ment of Alexandria. By G. A. Henty. With 6 page Illustrations
by W. H. Ovebend. 3s. 6d.
"Jack Robson and his two companions have their All of excitement, and their
chapter of adventures is so brisk and entertaining we could have wished it longer
than it is."—Saturday Review.


10
BLACK IE <fc SON'S BOOKS FOR YOU NO PEOPLE.
BY PROFESSOR A. J. CHURCH.
'That prince of winning story-tellers, and master of musical English."
—Expository Times.
In crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges.
Lords Of the World: A Tale of the Fall of Carthage and
Corinth. By A. J.
Church. With 12
page Illustrations by
Ralph Peacock. 6a.
"Mr. Church's mastery
of his suhject and his lit-
erary skill are surttciently
complete to carry his nilult
readers with him. Some of
the scenes are highly pic-
turesque, aud there is many
au exciting adventure that
sustains the reader's curi-
osity in the fortunes of the
hero, Clean or. As a boys'
book. Lords of the World
deserves a hearty welcome."
—Spectator.
Two Thousand
Years Ago: or,
The Adventures of a
Roman Boy. By Pro-
fessor A. J. Church.
With 12 page Illus-
trations by ADRIEN
Marie. 6s.
"Adventures well worth
the telling. The book is
extremely entertaining ns
well as useful, and there is
a wonderful freshness in
the Roman seenes and char-
Reduved Illustration from "Lords of the World '. aeters."—The Times.

BY HERBERT HAYENS.
PaPiS at Bay: A Story of the Siege and the Commune. By
Herbert Hayeks. With 8 page Illustrations by Stanley L.
Wood. 5s.
"The story culminates in the terrible struggle between the Versaillists and
the men who follow the red flag. Mr. Hayens holds the balance with commend-
able impartiality. He loves to describe a good soldier on whichever aide he may
fight. Altogether Paris at Bay is of more than average merit."—Spectator.


BLACKIE * SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNQ PEOPLE.
11
BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN.
";Mr. Fenn stands In the foremost rank of writers in this department."—Daily
News.
In crown Svo, cloth elegant.
Dick 0' the Fens: A Romance of the Great East Swamp. By
G. Manville Fenn. Illustrated by Frank Dado. 6s.
"We conscientiously believe that boys will find it capital reading. It 1b full
of incident and mystery, and the mystery is kept up to the las; moment . It is
rich in effective local colouring; and it has a historical interest . "—Times.
Devon Boys: A Tale of the North Shore. By G. Manville
Fenn. With 12 page Illustrations by Gobdon Browne. 6s.
"An admirable story, as remarkable for the individuality of its young heroes
as for the excellent descriptions of coast scenery and life in North Devon. It is
one of the best books we have seen this season."—Athenceum.
The Golden Magnet: A Tale of the Land of the Incas. By
G. Manville Fenn. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 6>.
"There could be no more welcome present for a boy. There is not a dull page
in the book, and many will be read with breathless interest. 'The Golden Mag-
net is. of course, the same one that attracted Kaleigh and the heroes of West-
ward Ho!"—Journal of Education.
In the King's Name: or, The Cruise of the Kestrel. By
G. Manville Fenn. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 6«.
"The best of all Mr. Fenn's productions in this field. It has the great quality
of always 'moving on', adventure following adventure in constant succession."—
Daily News.
Nat the Naturalist: A Boy's Adventures in the Eastern
Seas. By G. Manville Fenn. With 8 page Pictures. 5«.
"This sort of book encourages independence of character, develops resource,
and teaches a boy to keep his eyes open."—Saturday Review.
Bunyip Land: The Story of a Wild Journey in New Guinea.
By G. Manville Fenn. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 4s.
"Mr. Fenn deserves the thanks of everybody for Bunyip Land, and we may ven-
ture to promise that a quiet week may be reckoned on whilst the youngsters have
such fascinating literature provided for their evenings' amusement."—Spectator.
Quicksilver: or, A Boy with no Skid to his Wheel. By
George Manville Fenn. With 6 page Illustrations by Frank
Dadd. 3s. 6d.
"Quicksilver is little short of an inspiration. In it that prince of story-writers
for hoys—George Manville Fenn—has surpassed himself. It is an ideal book for
a boy's library."—Practical Teacher.
BrOWnsmith'S Boy: A Romance in a Garden. By G.
Manville Fenn. With 6 page Illustrations. 3«. 6d.
"Mr. Fenn's books are among the best, if not altogether the best, of the stories
for boys. Mr. Fenn is at his best in Broumsmith's Boy."—Pictorial World.
For other Books by G. Manville Fenn, see page 22.


16 BLACK1E <fc SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNO PEOPLE.
BY ROBERT LEIGHTON.
"Mr. Robert Leighton has taken a place in the very front rani of the writers
of stories for boys."—Daily Graphic.
In crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges.
The Golden Galleon: A Narrative of the Adventures of
Master Gilbert Oglander, under the gallant Sir Richard Grenville
in the great sea-fight off Flores. By Robert Leighton. With 8
page Illustrations by William Rainey, r.i. 5«.
"The ttory itself is a capital one, but the chief merit lies in the telling. It
presents an excellent picture of life in England, both on land and sea, in the days
of Elizabeth."—Standard.
Olaf the GloriOus. By Robert Leighton. With 8 page
Illustrations by Ralph Peacock, and a Map. 5s.
"Is as good as anything of the kind we have met with. Mr. Leighton more
than holds hls own with Rider Haggard and Baring-Gould."—The Times.
The Wreck of "The Golden Fleece": The Story of a
North Sea Fisher-boy. By Robert Leighton. With 8 page
Illustrations by F. Branqwyn. 5«.
"This story should add considerably to Mr. Leighton's high reputation. Ex-
cellent in every respect, it contains every variety of Incident. The plot is very
cleverly devised, and the types of the North Sea sailors are capital."—The Times.
The Pilots Of Pomona: A Story of the Orkney Islands.
By Robert Leighton. Illustrated by John Leighton. 5«.
"A story which is quite as good in its way as Treasure Island, and is full of
adventure of a stirring yet most natural kind. Although it is primarily a boys'
book, it is a real godsend to the elderly reader."—Glasgow Evening Times.
The Thirsty Sword: A Story of the Norse Invasion of
Scotland (1262-63). By Robert Leighton. With 8 page Illus-
trations by A. Fearse. 5s. ,
"This 1b one of the most fascinating stories for boys that it has ever been our
pleasure to read. From first to last the interest never flags."—Schoolmaster.
The Clever Miss Follett. By J. K. h. Denny. With
12 page Illustrations by Gertrude D. Hammond. 6«.
"Just the book to give to girls, who will delight both in the letterpress and
the illustrations. Miss Hammond has never done better work."—Review oj
Reviews.
The Heiress of Courtleroy. By Anne Beale. With 8
page Illustrations by T. C. H. Castle. 5s.
"We can speak highly of the grace with which Miss Beale relates how the
young 'Heiress of Courtleroy' had such good influence over her uncle as to win
him from his intensely selfish ways."— Guardian.


BLACKTE <t SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNO PEOPLE.
17
TWELFTH EDITION OF THE UNIVERSE.
The Universe: or, The Infinitely Great and the Infinitely Little.
A Sketch of Contrasts in Creation, and Marvels revealed and
explained by Natural Science. By F. A. Pouchet, m.d. With
272 Engravings on wood, of which 55 are full-page size, and i
Coloured Illustrations. Twelfth Edition, medium 8vo, cloth ele-
gant, gilt edges, 7«. 6d.; also morocco antique, 16s.
"Dr. Pouchet's wonderful work on The Universe, than which there is no book
better calculated to encourage the study of nature."—Pall Mall Gazette.
"We know no better book of the kind for a schoolroom library."—Bookman.
BY G. NORWAY.
In crown 8vo, cloth elegant.
A Prisoner Of War: A Story of the Time of Napoleon
Bonaparte. By G. Norway. With 6 page Illustrations by Robt.
Barnes, a.r.w.9. 3s. 6d.
"More hairbreadth escapes from death by starvation, by ice, by lighting, &c,
were never before surmounted. . . . It is a fine yarn."—The Guardian.
A True Cornish Maid. By G. Norway. With 6 page
Illustrations by J. Finnemorr. 3s. 6d.
"There is some excellent reading. . . . Mrs. Norway brings before the eyes
of her readers the good Cornish folk, their speech, their manners, and their ways.
A True Cornish Maid deserves to be popular."— Athenceum.
%* For other Books by G. Norway see p. 23.
Under False Colours: A Story from Two Girls' Lives.
By Sarah Doudney. Illustrated by G. G. Kilburne. 4s.
"Sarah Doudney has no superior as a writer of high-toned stories—pnre in
style and original in conception; but we have seen nothing from her pen equal
In dramatic energy to this lwok."—Christian Leader.
With the Sea Kin?s: A Story of the Days of Lord Nelson.
By F. H. Winder. Illustrated by W. S. Stacey. is.
"Just the book to put into a boy's hands. Every chapter contains hoardings,
cuttings out, fighting pirates, escapes of thrilling audacity, and captures by corsairs,
sufficient to turn the quietest boy's head. The story culminates in a vigorous
account of the battle of Trafalgar. Happy boys! "—The Academy.
Dr. Jolliffe'S Boys: A Tale of Weston School. By Lewis
Hough. With 6 page Pictures. 3s. 6d.
"Young people who appreciate Tom Brown's School days will find this story a
worthy companion to that fascinating book."—Newcastle Journal.
Dora: or, A Girl without a Home. By Mrs. R. H. Read. With
6 page Illustrations by Paul Hardy. 8s. 6rf.
"It is no slight thing, in an age of rubbish, to get a story so pure and healthy
as this."—The Academy.
[11] B


18
BLACK1E & SON'S BOOKS FOR rOUNQ PEOPLE.
BY DR. GORDON STABLES, R.N.
"In all Dr. Gordon Stables' books for boys we are sure to find I wholesome tone,
plenty of instruction, and abundance of adventure."—Saturday Review.
In crovm Svo, cloth elegant.
The Naval Cadet. By Gordon Stables, cm., m.d., b.n.
With 6 page Illustrations by William Rainey, B.I. 3s. M.
"A really interesting travellers' tale, with plenty of fun and incident in it."—
Spectator.
"Love and war ami 'gun-room fun' combine to make the history of The Naval
Cadet a very readable book."— Literature.
For Life and Liberty. By Gordon Stables, cm., m.d., r.n.
With 8 Illustrations by Sydney Paget, and a Map. 5s.
"The story is lively aud spirited, with abundance of blockade-running, hard
fighting, narrow escapes, and introductions to some of the most distinguished
generals on both sides."—The Times.
To Greenland and the Pole. By Gordon Stables, cm.,
m.d., r.N. With 8 page Illustrations by G. C. Hindley, and a Map.
5s.
"His Arctic explorers have the verisimilitude of life. It is one of the books of
the season, and one of the best Mr. Stables has ever written."—Truth.
Westward with Columbus. By Gordon Stables, cm.,
m.d., r.N. With 8 page Illustrations by A. Pearse. 5s.
We must place Westward with Columbus among those books that all boys
ought to read. '—The Spectator.
'Twixt School and College: A Tale of Self-reliance. By
Gordon Stables, cm., m.d., r.n. Illustrated by W. Parkinson. 5s.
"One of the best of a prolific writer's books for boys, and inculcates the
virtue of self-reliance."—Athenceum.
BY HUGH ST. LEGER.
An Ocean Outlaw: A Story of Adventure in the good ship
Maryarct. With Illustrations hy William Rainey, rx. 4s.
"We know no modern boys' hook in which there ia more sound, hearty, good-
humoured fun, or of which the tone is more wholesome and bracing than Mr. St
.
Letter's."—National Observer.
Hallowe'en Ahoy! or, Lost on the Crozet Islands. By
Hugh St. Leger. With 6 Illustrations by H. J. Draper. is.
"One of the best stories of seafaring life and adventure which have appeared
this season. No boy who begins it but will wish to join the Britannia long
before he finishes these delightful pages."—Academy.
Sou'wester and Sword. By Hugh St. Leger. With 6
page Illustrations by Hal Hurst. 4«.
"As racy a tale of life at sea and war adventure as we have met with for some
time. . . . Altogether the sort of book that lx>ys will revel in."—Athencntm.


BLACK IE * SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNQ PEOPLE.
19
BY CHARLES W. WHISTLER.
"Historical tales are always welcome when they are told by such a prince of
story-tellers as sir. Charles W. Whistler."—The Record.
In crown 8vo, cloth elegant.
King" Olaf'S Kinsman: A Story of the Last Saxon Struggle
against the Danes. By Charles W. Whistler. With 6 page
Illustrations by W. H. Margetson. 4s.
"Mr. Whistler's story is in fine an excellent one—worthy to rank with some of
R. L. Stevenson's tales for boys."—St. James's Qazette.
WlllfriC the Weapon-Thane: The Story of the Danish
Conquest of East Anglia. By Charles W. Whistler. With
6 Illustrations by W. H. Margetson. is.
"A picturesque and energetic story. A worthy companion to his capital story,
A Thane of Wessex. One that will delight all active-minded boys."—Saturday
Review.
A Thane Of WeSSeX: Being the Story of the Great Viking
Raid of 845. By Charles W. Whistler. With 6 Illustrations
by W. H. Margetson. 3«. 6d.
"The story is told with spirit and force, and affords an excellent picture of the
life of the period."—Standard.
Grettir the Outlaw: A Story of Iceland. By S. Baring-
Gould. With 6 page Illustrations by M. Zeno Diemer. is.
A Champion Of the Faith: A Tale of Prince Hal and the
Lollards. By J. M. Callwell. With 6 page Illustrations by
Herbert J. Draper, is.
Meg's Friend. By Alice Corkran. With 6 page Illustra-
tions by Robert Fowler. 8«. 6d.
"One of Miss Corkran's charming books for girls, narrated in that simple
and picturesque style which marks the authoress as one of the first amongst
writers for young people."- -The Spectator.
Margery Merton'S Girlhood. By Alice Corkran. With
6 page Pictures by Gordon Browne. 3s. 6d.
"Another book for girls we can warmly commend. There is a delightful
piquancy in the experiences and trials of a young English girl who studies
painting in Paris."—Saturday Review.
Down the SnOw Stairs: or, From Good-night to Good-morn-
ing. By Alice Corkran. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 3«. 6d.
"A gem of the first water, bearing upon every page the mark of genius. It is
Indeed a Little Pilgrim's Progress."—Christian Leader.
Gold, Gold, in Cariboo. By Clive Phillipps-Wolley.
With 6 page Illustrations by G. C. Hindley. 3s. 6d.
"We have seldom read a more exciting tale. There is a capital plot, and
the interest is sustained to the last page."—The Times.


24
BLACKIE <fc SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
BLACKIE'S HALF-CROWN SERIES.
Illustrated by eminent Artists. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant.
A Daughter Of Erin. By Violet G. Finny.
"Extremely well written; the characters are cleverly drawn and the Individual
interest sustained to the end. It is a book we can thoroughly recommend, not
only to girls, but to all who like a well written healthy toned story."—St. J amait
Gazette.
Nell's SchOOl-dayS. By H. F. Getiibn.
"A simple and natural picture of young life, and inculcates in an unosten-
tatious way lessons of thoughtfulncss and kindness."—Spectator.
The Luck of the Eardleys. By Sheila e. Braine.
"One of the cleverest books we have read for a long time. The authoress com-
bines wit, humour, and pathos in a delightful manner, and understands how to
portray character, for all her men, women, boys and girls glow with life and
colour "—The liecord.
Picked up at Sea: or. The Gold Miners of Minturoe Creek.
By John C. Hutcheson.
The Search for the Talisman: A story of Labrador.
By Henry Frith.
"We pity the boy who cannot read every page of this capital story."—School
Guardian.
Marooned on Australia. By Ernest Favenc.
"A remarkably interesting and well-written story of travel and adventure in
the Great Southern Land."—School Guardian.
The Secret of the Australian Desert. By Ernest
Favenc.
"We recommend the book most heartily; it is certain to please boys and
girls, and even some grown-ups,"—Guardian.
My Friend Kathleen. By Jennie Chappell.
A Girl's Kingdom. By M. Corbet-Seymour.
"The story is bright, well told, and thoroughly healthy and good."—Ch. Bells.
Laugh and Learn: The Easiest Book of Nursery Lessons
and Nursery Games. By Jennett Humphreys.
"One of the best books of the kind imaginable, full of practical teaching in
word and picture, and helping the little ones pleasantly along a right royal road
to learning. —Graphic.
Reefer and Rifleman: A Tale of the Two Services. By
Lieut.-Col. Percy-Groves.
A Musical Genius. By the Author of the "Two Dorothys".
"It is brightly written, well illustrated, and daintily bound, and can be strongly
recommended as a really good prize-book."—Teacher? Aid.
For the Sake Of a Friend: A Story of School Life. By
Margaret Parker.
"Au excellent school-girls' story."—Athcnaum.


BLACKIE * SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNQ PEOPLE.
25
HALF-OROWN SERIES-Continued.
Illustrated by eminent Artists. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant.
Things Will take a Turn
With 44 Illustrations
by John H. Bacon.
"Perhaps the most bril-
liant is Things Wilt Take a
Turn. . . . It is a delight-
ful blending of comedy and
tragedy, with an excellent
plot."—The Times.
By Beatrice Harraden.
Under the Black
Eagle. By An-
drew HlLLIARD.
"The rapid movement of
the story, and the strange
scenes thro ugh which it passes,
give it a full interest of sur-
prise and adventure."—Scofa-
man.
A Golden Age. By
Ismay Thorn. Illus-
trated by Gordon
Browne.
"Ought to have a place of
honour on the nursery shelf."
—The Athen&um.

(Reduced.)
From " Things mil Take a Turn"
Hal Hungerford. By J. R. Hutchinson, r.a.
"Altogether, Hal Hungerford is a distinct literary success."—Spectator.
The Secret of the Old House. By E. Everett-Green.
"Tim, the little Jacobite, is a charming creation."—Academy.
White Lilac: or, The Queen of the May. By Amy Walton.
"Every rural parish ought to add White Lilac to its library."—Academy.
The Whispering Winds, and the Tales that they Told.
By Mary H. Debenham. With 25 Illustrations by Paul Hardy.
Miriam's Ambition. By Evelyn Everett-Green.
"Miss Green's children are real British boys and girls."—Liverpool Mercury.
The Brig "Audacious". By Alan Cole.
"Fresh and wholesome as a breath of sea air."—Court Journal.


BLACK1E & SON'S BOOKS FOR TOUNO PEOPLE.
29
TWO-SHILLING SERIES-Continued.
Illustrated by eminent Artists. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant.
An Unexpected Hero. By Eliz. j. Lysaght.
The Bushranger's Secret. By Mrs. Henry Clarke, m.a.
The White Squall. By John C. Hutcheson.
The Wreck of the "Nancy Bell". By J. C. Hutcheson.
The Lonely Pyramid. By J. H. Yoxall.
Bab: or, The Triumph of Unselfishness. By Ismay Thorn.
Brave and True, and other Stories. By Gregson Gow.
The Light Princess. By George Mac Donald.
Nutbrown Roger and I. By j. H. Yoxall.
Sara Silvan's Sacrifice. By Jesse Colhan.
Insect Ways on Summer Days in Garden, Forest, Field,
and Stream. By Jennett Humphreys. With 70 Illustrations.
Susan. By Amy Walton.
A Pair Of ClOgS. By Amy Walton.
The Hawthorns. By Amy Walton.
Dorothy's Dilemma. By Caroline Austin.
Marie's Home. By Caroline Austin.
A Warrior King. By J. Evelyn.
Aboard the "Atalanta". By Henry Frith.
The Penang Pirate. By John C. Hutcheson.
Teddy: The Story of a " Little Pickle ". By John C. Hutcheson.
A Rash Promise. By Cecilia Selby Lowndes.
Linda and the Boys. By Cecilia Selby Lowndes.
SwiSS Stories for Children. From the German of Madam
Johanna Spyri. By Lucy Wheelock.
The Squire's Grandson. By J. M Callwell.
Magna Charta Stories. Edited by Arthur Gilman, a.m.
The Wings Of Courage; and The Cloud - Spinner.
Translated from the French of George Sand, hy Mrs. Corkran.
Chirp and Chatter: Or, Lessons from Field and Tree.
By Alice Banks. With 54 Illustrations by Gordon Browne.
Four Little Mischiefs. By Rosa Mulholland.


32 BLACKIE S SON'S BOOKS FOB YOUNO PEOPLE.
BLACKIE'S
SCHOOL AND HOME LIBRARY.
Under the above title the publishers have arranged -to issue, for
School Libraries and the Home Circle, a selection of the best and most
interesting books in the English language. The Library includes lives
of heroes, ancient and modern, records of travel and adventure by sea
and land, fiction of the highest class, historical romances, books of
natural history, and tales of domestic life.
The greatest care has been devoted to the get-up of the Library.
The volumes are clearly printed on good paper, and the binding made
specially durable, to withstand the wear and tear to which well-circu-
lated books are necessarily subjected.
In crown 8vo volumes. Strongly bound in cloth. Price is. 4d, each.
Dana's Two Years before the Mast.
Southey's Life of Nelson.
Waterton'sWanderings in S.America.
Anson's Voyage Round the World.
Lamb's Tales from Shakspeare.
Autobiographyof Benjamin Franklin.
Marryat's Children of the New Forest.
Miss Mitford's Our Village.
8cott's Talisman.
The Basket of Flowers.
Marryat's Masterman Ready.
Alcott's Little Women.
Cooper's Deerslayer.
Parry's Third Voyage.
Dickens' Old Curiosity Shop. 2 vols.
Plutarch's Lives of Greek Heroes.
The Lamplighter.
Cooper's Pathfinder.
The Vicar of Wakefield.
White's Natural History of Selborne.
Scott's Ivanhoe. 2 vols.
Michael Scott's Tom Cringle's Log.
Irving's Conquest of Granada. 2 vols.
Lives of Drake and Cavendish.
Michael Scott's Cruise of the Midge.
Edgeworth's Moral Tales.
Passages in the Lit e ot a Gal ley-Slave.
The Snowstorm. By Mrs. Gore.
Life of Dampier.
Marryat's The Settlers in Canada.
Martineau's Feats on the Fiord.
Marryat's Poor Jack.
The Good Governess. By Maria.
Edgcworth.
Northanger Abbey. By Jane Austen.
The Log Book of a Midshipman.
Autobiographies of Boyhood.
Holiday House. By Catherine Sinclair.
Wreck of the "Wager".
What Katy Did. By Miss Coolidgc.
What Katy Did at School. By Do.
Scott's Life of Napoleon.
Essays on English History. By Ix>rd
Macaulay.
The Rifle Rangers. By Captain Mayne
Rcid.
Detailed Prospectus and Press Opinions will be sent post free on Application.
"The Library is one of the most intelligent enterprises in connection with
juvenile literature of recent years. ... A glance at the list proves that
the editing is in the hands of some one who understands the likings of
healthy boys and girls. . . . One of the healthiest juvenile libraries in
existence."—Bookman.
LONDON:
BLACKIE & SON, Limited, 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C.