te; the stranger called after him, 'Farewell Gyges,
farewell beloved Persian, a pleasant journey to thee, Gyges!' The
servant, who had been waiting, followed on the other horse. I could hear
the clatter of arms among the bushes, but the Athenian was allowed to
depart unmolested, the soldiers, without doubt, believing him to be a
Persian.

"On returning to the house the stranger's orders were: 'Accompany me to
Phanes' bark, and cease not to call me by the Athenian's name.' 'But the
boatmen will betray you,' I said. 'Then go alone to them,' he answered,
'and command them to receive me as their master, Phanes.' Then I prayed
him to allow me to take the dress of the fugitive and become a prey to
the pursuers; but he would by no means allow this, and said my gait and
carriage would betray me. There alas! he spoke truly, for only the free
man can walk erect; the neck of the slave is bent; the schools in which
the noble and the freeborn learn grace and beauty of movement are not for
him. And so it must remain, the children must be even as the fathers; can
the unclean onion-root produce a rose, or the unsightly radish a
hyacinth? Constant bondage bows the neck of the slave, but the
consciousness of freedom gives dignity to the stature."

"But what has become of my son?" interrupted Croesus.

"He would not accept my poor offer, and took his seat in the bark,
sending a thousand greetings unto thee, O king! I cried after him,
'Farewell Phanes! I wish thee a prosperous journey, Phanes!' At that
moment a cloud crossed the moon; and from out the thick darkness I heard
screams, and cries for help; they did not, however, last long, a shrill
whistle followed, then all was silent; and the measured strokes of oars
were the only sounds that fell on my ear. I was on the point of returning
to relate what I had seen, when the boatman Sebek swam up once more and
told as follows: The Egyptians had caused a leak to be made in Phanes'
boat, and at a short distance from land it had filled and began to sink.
On the boatmen crying for help, the royal bark, which was following, had
come up and taken the supposed Phanes on board, but had prevented the
rowers from leaving their benches. They all went down with the leaking
boat, the daring Sebek alone excepted. Gyges is on board the royal boat;
Phanes has escaped, for that whistle must have been intended for the
soldiers in ambush at the garden-gate. I searched the bushes, the
soldiers were gone, and