served in Egypt and left that land
not three months ago. Of these men two have never heard of the bishop or
the others. The third, however, who was wounded in the fight, had some
tidings."

"What tidings, Jodd?"

"None that are good, General. The bishop, he says, was killed by Moslems
a while ago, or so he had been told."

"God rest him. But the others, Jodd, what of the others?"

"This. It seems that the Copt, as he called him, Magas, returned from a
long journey, as we know he did, and raised an insurrection somewhere in
the south of Egypt, far up the Nile. An expedition was sent against him,
under one Musa, the Governor of Egypt, and there was much fighting,
in which this prisoner took part. The end of it was that the Copts
who fought with Magas were conquered with slaughter, Magas himself was
slain, for he would not fly, and his daughter, the lady Heliodore, was
taken prisoner with some other Coptic women."

"And then?" I gasped.

"Then, General, she was brought before the Emir Musa, who, noting her
beauty, proposed to make her his slave. At her prayer, however, being,
as the prisoner said, a merciful man, he gave her a week to mourn her
father before she entered his harem. Still, the worst," he went on
hurriedly, "did not happen. Before that week was done, as the Moslem
force was marching down the Nile, she stabbed the eunuch who was in
charge of her and escaped."

"I thank God," I said. "But, Jodd, how is the man sure that she was
Heliodore?"

"Thus: All knew her to be the daughter of Magas, one whom the Egyptians
held in honour. Moreover, among the Moslem soldiers she was named 'the
Lady of the Shells,' because of a certain necklace she wore, which you
will remember."

"What more?" I asked.

"Only that the Emir Musa was very angry at her loss and because of it
caused certain soldiers to be beaten on the feet. Moreover, he halted
his army and offered a reward for her. For two days they hunted, even
searching some tombs where it was thought she might have hidden, but
there found nothing but the dead. Then the Emir returned down the Nile,
and that is the end of the story."

"Send this prisoner to me at once, Jodd, with an interpreter. I would
question him myself."

"I fear he is not fit to come, General."

"Then I will go to him. Lead me, Martina."

"If so, you must go far, General, for he died an hour ago, and his
companions are making him ready for burial."

"Jodd," I said angrily, "those men