lain would calculate that Chebron as well as his father would be
put out of the way.

"He has only to keep Mysa immured until his power as high priest is
consolidated, and then if he gain the consent of the king to the match
Mysa could not refuse to accept the fate prepared for her."

"I think that you have accurately reasoned out the case, Amuba, and
that we have penetrated the whole conspiracy. The question is, what
are we to do?"

"It must not be, Jethro!" Chebron cried excitedly, pacing up and down
the chamber. "Mysa cannot bear Plexo. She spoke of him with something
like horror when she heard of the proposal Ptylus made. I do not like
him myself. He is thin lipped and crafty and cruel. Mysa had better be
dead than married to him."

"I think I can promise you, Chebron," Jethro said grimly, "that that
marriage shall never come about. We may not find Mysa, who may be
hidden either in Ptylus' house, or in one of the many chambers of the
temple, or in the caves near it; but, at any rate, I can find Plexo,
and before we leave Egypt I will slay him as well as his father, whom
I regard as the murderer of Ameres. I may not be able to do this and
to get away, and in that case you must journey alone; but I am not
going to quit Egypt and leave them to enjoy the gains of their crime."
As he finished speaking Chigron entered.

"I was coming in to see if Jethro had returned."

He was told the reasons for his prolonged absence--the abduction of
Mysa, and the determination to remain and search for her place of
concealment. He shook his head.

"It is a rash resolution. Even were you free to come and go as you
choose, your chance of finding out her hiding-place would be small
indeed--hunted as you yourselves are, your quest seems to be an
absolutely hopeless one. As to your remaining here long, I think it
would be madness.

"It is not only for myself that I say this, but for you. In the first
place, there are so many men employed here that your coming in and
going out would be sure to be noticed by some one; in the second
place, the cave would scarcely escape search a second time. Were it
not for my workmen I could conceal you in the house; and if I saw men
in search of you approaching I could place you in one of the inner
casings of the mummies, and put two or three more casings on. Then,
lying as you would be among a number of corpses in a similar state of
advancement toward burial, none would think of opening the cases.