o be her jeweller. And when Kurri saw the Wanderer's plight, he thought
in his greedy heart of those treasures that he had lost, and of how he
who had been a captain and a rich merchant of Sidon was now nothing but
a slave.

Then a great desire came upon him to work the Wanderer ill, if so he
might. Now all round the edge of the chamber were shadows, for the light
was yet faint, and Kurri crept into the shadows, carrying a long spear
in his hand, and that spear was hafted into the bronze point which had
stood in the Wanderer's helm. Little did the Wanderer glance his way,
for he watched the lances and arrows that flew towards him from the
portal, so the end of it was that the Sidonian passed round the chamber
unseen and climbed into the golden bed of Pharaoh on the further side of
the bed. Now the Wanderer stood with his back to the bed and a spear's
length from it, and in the silken hangings were fixed spears and arrows.
Kurri's first thought was to stab him in the back, but this he did
not; first, because he feared lest he should fail to pierce the golden
harness and the Wanderer should turn and slay him; and again because
he hoped that the Wanderer would be put to death by torment, and he was
fain to have a hand in it, for after the fashion of the Sidonians he was
skilled in the tormenting of men. Therefore he waited till presently
the Wanderer let fall his buckler and drew the bow. But ere the arrow
reached his ear Kurri had stretched out his spear from between the
hangings and touched the string with the keen bronze, so that it burst
asunder and the grey shaft fell upon the marble floor. Then, as the
Wanderer cast down the bow and turned with a cry to spring on him who
had cut the cord, for his eye had caught the sheen of the outstretched
spear, Kurri lifted the covering of the purple web which lay upon the
bed and deftly cast it over the hero's head so that he was inmeshed.
Thereon the soldiers and the eunuchs took heart, seeing what had been
done, and ere ever the Wanderer could clear himself from the covering
and draw his sword, they rushed upon him. Cumbered as he was, they might
not easily overcome him, but in the end they bore him down and held
him fast, so that he could not stir so much as a finger. Then one cried
aloud to Meriamun:

"The Lion is trapped, O Queen! Say, shall we slay him?"

But Meriamun, who had watched the fray through cover of her hands,
shuddered and made answer:

"Nay, but lock his to