lad to take to the pillow of rushes to which he was accustomed.
Indeed, to sleep upon the stool-pillows it was necessary to lie upon
the side with an arm so placed as to raise the head to the exact level
of the stool, and as Amuba had been accustomed to throw himself down
and sleep on his back or any other position in which he first lay, for
he was generally thoroughly tired either in hunting or by exercise of
arms, he found the cramped and fixed position necessary for sleeping
with a hard stool absolutely intolerable.

For a week the journey down the river continued, and then they arrived
at Memphis, where they remained for some days. Ameres passed the time
in ceremonial visits and in taking part in the sacrifices in the
temple. Chebron and Amuba visited all the temples and public
buildings, and one day went out to inspect the great pyramids attended
by Jethro.

"This surpasses anything I have seen," Jethro said as they stood at
the foot of the great pyramid of Cheops. "What a wonderful structure,
but what a frightful waste of human labor!"

"It is marvelous, indeed," Amuba said. "What wealth and power a
monarch must have had to raise such a colossal pile! I thought you
said, Chebron, that your kings were bound by laws as well as other
people. If so, how could this king have exacted such terrible toil and
labor from his subjects as this must have cost?"

"Kings should be bound by the laws," Chebron replied; "but there are
some so powerful and haughty that they tyrannize over the people.
Cheops was one of them. My father has been telling me that he ground
down the people to build this wonderful tomb for himself. But he had
his reward, for at his funeral he had to be judged by the public
voice, and the public condemned him as a bad and tyrannous king.
Therefore he was not allowed to be buried in the great tomb that he
had built for himself. I know not where his remains rest, but this
huge pyramid stands as an eternal monument of the failure of human
ambition--the greatest and costliest tomb in the world, but without an
occupant, save that Theliene, one of his queens, was buried here in a
chamber near that destined for the king."

"The people did well," Jethro said heartily; "but they would have done
better still had they risen against him and cut off his head directly
they understood the labor he was setting them to do."

On leaving Memphis one more day's journey was made by water, and the
next morning the party s