finest fowl they had killed,
accompanied them to the spot Rabah had chosen for the encampment. Like
the last, it stood at the foot of the sandhills, a few hundred yards
from the lake.

"Is the place where we are going to hunt near here?" was Chebron's
first question.

"No, my lord; it is two miles away. But, in accordance with your
order last night, I have arranged for you to fish to-morrow. In the
afternoon I will move the tents a mile nearer to the country where you
will hunt, but it is best not to go too close, for near the edge of
these great swamps the air is unhealthy to those who are not
accustomed to it."

"I long to get at the hunting," Chebron said; "but it is better, as
you say, to have the day's fishing first, for the work would seem tame
after the excitement of hunting the river-horse. We shall be glad of
our dinner as soon as we can get it, for although we have done justice
to the food you put on board, we are quite ready again. Twelve hours
of this fresh air from the sea gives one the appetite of a hyena."

"Everything is already in readiness, my lord. I thought it better not
to wait for the game you brought home, which will do well to-morrow,
and so purchased fish and fowl from the peasants. As we have seen your
boat for the last two or three hours, we were able to calculate the
time of your arrival, and thus have everything in readiness."

The dinner was similar to that on the previous day, except that a hare
took the place of the venison--a change for the better, as the hare
was a delicacy much appreciated by the Egyptians. The following day
was spent in fishing. For this purpose a long net was used, and the
method was precisely similar to that in use in modern times. One end
of the net was fastened to the shore, the net itself being coiled up
in the boat. This was rowed out into the lake, the fishermen paying
out the net as it went. A circuit was then made back to the shore,
where the men seized the two ends of the net and hauled it to land,
capturing the fish inclosed within its sweep. After seeing two or
three hauls made, the lads went with Jethro on board the boat. They
were provided by the fishermen with long two-pronged spears.

The boat was then quietly rowed along the edge of the rushes, where
the water was deeper than usual. It was, however, so clear that they
could see to the bottom, and with their spears they struck at the fish
swimming there. At first they were uniformly unsuccessful