among a party of the priests, headed by Ptylus. Others see
in it a fresh proof of the anger of the god against Egypt.

"The king himself will, it is said, take part in services of
propitiation in the temple of Osiris to-morrow; sacrifices are to
be offered, they say, in all the temples. A solemn fast will be
proclaimed to-morrow, and all the people, high and low, are to shave
their eyebrows and to display the usual signs of mourning. So far I
have heard nothing as to the fact that two girls who were in the house
are discovered to be missing, but to-morrow, when those who were in
the house are questioned by the magistrates, this fact will doubtless
come out, and the men will own that by the orders of Ptylus they
carried Mysa away at the time the attack on the house was made.

"At present, however, there is no question of women in the case; and I
can go down to the boat with the girls in company with Chigron without
any fear whatever. But it is better that you should not be with us
when we embark; for when the matter comes to be talked over, some one
who sees us embark might notice that our number tallies with that of
the three persons present when Ptylus was killed, and the two missing
girls. Therefore Chigron's opinion is that it will be safer for you to
start at once and walk to Mita, a village twenty miles up the river.
There the boat will lie up to-morrow night, and as soon as it is dark
you can come on board. I shall tell the boatmen that I expect you to
join us there, as you have gone on ahead to transact some business for
me in the neighborhood."

"That is certainly the best plan," Amuba agreed. "There are too many
who know Chebron by sight for it to be safe for him to go down to the
boat here and embark in broad daylight. I will take two hours' sleep
before I start; for as I did not sleep last night, and have walked
forty miles since I left the chariot, I feel in need of a little
repose before I start again. I was foolish not to have slept this
afternoon, for I have since midday been hiding near; but there was so
much to think about that I had no inclination to do so, especially as
I believed that we would have a night's rest here."

"I will wake you," Chebron said. "I have been asleep the better part
of the day, having had nothing to do since we arrived here yesterday
evening."

Chebron sat watching the stars until he saw that they had made two
hours' journey through the sky. Then he roused Amuba. Both now