omb to say a prayer for his soul; and he adjures them in these
words: "So truly as ye wish that your native gods should praise you, and
that ye should be established in your seats, and that ye should hand
down your offices to your children: that ye should reach your homes in
safety, and recount your travels to your wives;--then say a prayer,"
&c.[2]

[Footnote 1: Sinuhe, B. 159, 197, 258.]

[Footnote 2: Zeit. Aeg. Spr., 39 (1901), p. 118.]

The serpent was thus giving the castaway a promise which meant more to
him than all the other blessings, and it was with a light heart indeed
that he ran down to the beach to greet his countrymen. "I went down to
the shore where the ship was," he continued, "and I called to the
soldiers which were in that ship, and I gave praises upon the shore to
the lord of this island, and likewise did they which were in the ship."

Then he stepped on board, the gangway was drawn up, and, with a great
sweep of the oars, the ship passed out on to the open sea. Standing on
deck amongst the new cargo, the officers and their rescued friend bowed
low to the great serpent who towered above the trees at the water's
edge, gleaming in the sunshine. "Fare thee well, little one," his deep
voice rolled across the water; and again they bowed in obeisance to him.
The main-sail was unfurled to the wind, and the vessel scudded bravely
across the Great Green Sea; but for some time yet they must have kept
their eyes upon the fair shape of the phantom island, as the trees
blended into the hills and the hills at last into the haze; and their
vision must have been focussed upon that one gleaming point where the
golden serpent, alone once more with his memories, watched the ship
moving over the fairy seas.

"So sailed we northwards," said the sailor, "to the place of the
Sovereign, and we reached home in two months, in accordance with all
that he had said. And I entered in before the Sovereign, and I brought
to him this tribute which I had taken away from within this island. Then
gave he thanksgivings for me before the magistrates of the entire land.
And I was made a 'Follower,' and was rewarded with the serfs of such an
one."

The old sailor turned to the gloomy prince as he brought his story to an
end. "Look at me," he exclaimed, "now that I have reached land, now that
I have seen (again in memory) what I have experienced. Hearken thou to
me, for behold, to hearken is good for men."

But the prince on