rful
kings were restrained by the knowledge that should they give cause of
complaint to their subjects they were liable after death to be accused
and deprived of the right of lying in the mighty tombs they had so
carefully prepared for their reception.

Chebron's brain, therefore, while he was watching the process of
embalming, was busy with thoughts and fancies as to the future of the
spirit that had inhabited the body he looked at. Had it already passed
into the body of some animal? Was it still disconnected and searching
for an abode? Through what changes would it pass and how long would be
the time before it returned to this human tenement? For the three
thousand years was believed to be the shortest period of transition
through the various changes in the case of the man of the purest and
most blameless life, while in other cases the period was vastly
extended.

As Amuba was not gifted with a strong imagination, and saw in the
whole matter merely the preservation of a body which in his opinion
had much better have been either buried or placed on a funeral pile
and destroyed by fire, these visits to the embalmers had constituted
the most unpleasant part of his duties as Chebron's companion.

Jethro had anticipated when he left that his visit to the city would
be of short duration, and that he should return in an hour at the
latest; but as the day passed and night fell without his return the
lads became exceedingly anxious, and feared that something serious had
taken place to detain him. Either his disguise had been detected and
he had been seized by the populace, or some other great misfortune
must have befallen him.

It had been arranged indeed that they should that night have started
upon their journey, and Jethro after his return was to have made out a
list of such articles as he deemed necessary for their flight, and
these Chigron had promised to purchase for him. Their plans, however,
were completely upset by his nonappearance, and late in the afternoon
Chigron himself went down into the city to ascertain, if he could, if
Jethro had been discovered, for his name had been associated with that
of the boys. It was not believed indeed that he had taken any actual
part in the slaying of the cat, but it was deemed certain from his
close connection with them, and his disappearance shortly before the
time they had suddenly left the farm, that he was in league with them.
Chigron returned with the news that so far as