in their turns--the four women for a space, and
the ass for a space--until they came to the land of Egypt; and the clock
was set up in the land of Egypt. And this was in the days before the
First Dynasty; yea, many thousands of years before. And behold, the
spirit of him that had wrought the bowl followed after the bowl, even
unto the land of Egypt; for the spirit was filled with a great and
exceeding desire to speak those things that were known unto it; yet the
time of its speaking was not yet.

III.

In the days of Amun-Ta-Ra, in the Fifth Dynasty, in the year of the
Altering of the Clock. Glory to thee, Amun.

In that year, after his return from the war with many captives, did
Amun-Ta-Ra order the greater hollowing of the hole at bottom of the
clock set up before the temple of Isis telling the hours.

The clock too slowly dripping, the hole being in part stopped, showing
the hours too long, was altered. One hour in the space of two did it
count. Let Amun-Ta-Ra live.

IV.

Young Reuben scraped off his boots the worst of the mud from the furrows
against the gate-post, shut the gate, and trudged homewards from his
labour; as he turned into the road from the end of the lane he came in
sight of old Reuben, sitting as usual on his heap of stones by the
roadside; his hammer lay idly in his hand, its head on the heap of
larger flints before him; the old gentleman was slowly shaking his
head--not that he was such a very old gentleman; sixty, maybe; and still
hale and strong.

"What be amiss, father?" said young Reuben. "Ye've bin a-settin' there
shakin' yer head like a old owl since I turned into the road. It be time
to knock off."

"Amiss, Reuben? Why, thet's where you have me, like. What I know is,
there be a somethin' amiss; and it be either me or the time, and so I
tell ye. Am I a-gettin' old an' weak, boy; or is it the hours a-goin'
quicker? Lookee here, Reuben, it do seem to me as I can do less in the
time every blessed day as follers t'other! Why, thirty year agone,
blest if I didn't do--ah, double thet there little 'eap in the day's
work--and yet, blame me if I feel a bit weaker nor I used ter! You mark
my words, Reuben, boy; the hours is a-gettin' shorter every day--thet's
what they're a-doin', and you put it down at thet!"

Young Reuben laughed incredulously. "You're a-gittin' lazy, old
'un--that's about the size of it," he said.

[Illustration: 'Young Reuben laughed.']

"I hain't a-gettin' nothi