e as my name's Giv. Why, the lowest of the king's
carpet-bearers travels with four times as many people, and yet this man
has a royal pass and is dressed like one of those who sit at the royal
table."

At this moment the suspected traveller handed him a little silken roll
scented with musk, sealed with the royal seal, and containing the king's
own handwriting.

The whip-bearer took it and examined the seal. "It is all in order," he
murmured, and then began to study the characters. But no sooner had he
deciphered the first letters than he looked even more sharply than before
at the traveller, and seized the horses' bridles, crying out: "Here, men,
form a guard round the carriage! this is an impostor."

When he had convinced himself that escape was impossible, he went up to
the stranger again and said: "You are using a pass which does not belong
to you. Gyges, the son of Croesus, the man you give yourself out for, is
in prison and is to be executed to-day. You are not in the least like
him, and you will have reason to repent leaving tried to pass for him.
Get out of your carriage and follow me."

The traveller, however, instead of obeying, began to speak in broken
Persian, and begged the officer rather to take a seat by him in the
carriage, for that he had very important news to communicate. The man
hesitated a moment; but on seeing a fresh band of whip-bearers come up,
he nodded to them to stand before the impatient, chafing horses, and got
into the carriage.

The stranger looked at him with a smile and said: "Now, do I look like an
impostor?"

"No; your language proves that you are not a Persian, but yet you look
like a nobleman."

"I am a Greek, and have come hither to render Cambyses an important
service. Gyges is my friend, and lent me his passport when he was in
Egypt, in case I should ever come to Persia. I am prepared to vindicate
my conduct before the king, and have no reason for fear. On the contrary,
the news I bring gives me reason to expect much from his favor. Let me be
taken to Croesus, if this is your duty; he will be surety for me, and
will send back your men, of whom you seem to stand in great need to-day.
Distribute these gold pieces among them, and tell me without further
delay what my poor friend Gyges has done to deserve death, and what is
the reason of all this crowd and confusion."

The stranger said this in bad Persian, but there lay so much dignity and
confidence in his tone, and his gi