urder" incessantly,
they proceeded to arrest the offender. This was not so easy. His blood
was up, and rushing on them with his drawn sword, he had already cut his
way through the first troop when a second came up. He was not to be
daunted, attacked them too, split the skull of one, wounded another in
the arm and was taking aim for a third blow, when he felt a cord round
his neck. It was drawn tighter and tighter till at last he could not
breathe and fell down insensible. By the time he came to his senses he
was bound, and notwithstanding all his appeals to his pass and the name
of Theopompus, was forced to follow his captors.

When the tale was finished the Milesian did not attempt to conceal his
strong disapprobation, and told Zopyrus that his most unseasonable love
of fighting might be followed by the saddest consequences. After saying
this, he turned to the officer and begged him to accept his own personal
security for the prisoner. The other, however, refused gravely, saying he
might forfeit his own life by doing so, as a law existed in Egypt by
which the concealer of a murder was condemned to death. He must, he
assured them, take the culprit to Sais and deliver him over to the
Nomarch for punishment. "He has murdered an Egyptian," were his last
words, "and must therefore be tried by an Egyptian supreme court. In any
other case I should be delighted to render you any service in my power."

During this conversation Zopyrus had been begging his friends not to take
any trouble about him. "By Mithras," he cried, when Bartja offered to
declare himself to the Egyptians as a means of procuring his freedom, "I
vow I'll stab myself without a second thought, if you give yourselves up
to those dogs of Egyptians. Why the whole town is talking about the war
already, and do you think that if Psamtik knew he'd got such splendid
game in his net, he would let you loose? He would keep you as hostages,
of course. No, no, my friends. Good-bye; may Auramazda send you his best
blessings! and don't quite forget the jovial Zopyrus, who lived and died
for love and war."

The captain of the band placed himself at the head of his men, gave the
order to march, and in a few minutes Zopyrus was out of sight.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

Corpse to be torn in pieces by dogs and vultures
He is the best host, who allows his guests the most freedom
The past belongs to the dead; only fools count upon the future
They p