se shining skin the sun
was reflected, and who bore between his horns a golden disk, above which
stood white ostrich-feathers; and then, divided from the bull only by a
few fan-bearers, the God himself, sometimes visible, but more often
hidden from sight by great semi-circular screens of black and white
ostrich-feathers, which were fixed on long poles, and with which the
priests shaded the God.

His mode of progress was as mysterious as his name, for he seemed to
float slowly on his gorgeous throne from the temple-gates towards the
stream. His seat was placed on a platform, magnificently decorated with
bunches and garlands of flowers, and covered with hangings of purple and
gold brocade, which concealed the priests who bore it along with a slow
and even pace.

As soon as the God had been placed on board his barge, Bent-Anat and her
companions rose from their knees.

Then came some priests, who carried a box with the sacred evergreen tree
of Amon; and when a fresh outburst of music fell on her ear, and a cloud
of incense was wafted up to her, Bent-Anat said: "Now my father should be
coming."

"And you," cried Rameri, "and close behind, Nefert's husband, Mena, with
the guards. Uncle Ani comes on foot. How strangely he has dressed himself
like a sphinx hind-part before!"

"How so?" asked Nefert.

"A sphinx," said Rameri laughing, it has the body of a lion, and the head
of a man,

[There were no female sphinxes in Egypt. The sphinx was called Neb,
i. e., the lord. The lion-couchant had either a man's or a rams
head.]

and my uncle has a peaceful priest's robe, and on his head the helmet of
a warrior."

"If the king were here, the distributor of life," said Nefert, "you would
not be missing from among his supporters."

"No indeed!" replied the prince, "and the whole thing is altogether
different when my father is here. His heroic form is splendid on his
golden throne; the statues of Truth and justice spread their wings behind
him as if to protect him; his mighty representative in fight, the lion,
lies peacefully before him, and over him spreads the canopy with the
Urmus snake at the top. There is hardly any end to the haruspices, the
pastophori with the standards, the images of the Gods, and the flocks and
herds for sacrifice. Only think, even the North has sent representatives
to the feast, as if my father were here. I know all the different signs
on the standards. Do you recognize the images of the k