go with her, and I will be quiet. If not, I will scream; and
if you kill me, it will only set the people on your traces.'

"The men hesitated, and I ran past them and climbed into the cart, and
threw myself down by Mysa, and then they drove off."

"It was brave and good of you, Ruth," Jethro said, laying his hand on
the girl's shoulder; "but why did you not scream when you first came
out of the gate? It might have brought aid and prevented Mysa from
being carried off."

"I thought of that," Ruth said, "but there were numbers of rough men
still coming in at the gate; and knowing how the people had been
stirred up to anger against us, I did not know what might happen if I
gave the alarm. Besides, I was not sure at first that these men,
although they seemed so rough and violent, were not really friends,
who were taking away Mysa to save her from the popular fury."

"Yes, that might have been the case," Jethro agreed. "At any rate,
child, you acted bravely and well. We were hoping all along that you
were with Mysa, for we knew what a comfort you would be to her. Only,
as the women all declared you did not pass out after her, we did
not see how that could be. And now, Mytis and Nite, you had better
retire to your own cabin to rest; for though you have both kept up
wonderfully, all this has been a great strain for you, and you are
both looking fagged and heavy-eyed. To-night you can sleep in comfort;
for, for the present, I think that there is no occasion whatever for
the slightest anxiety."

It was some time before Jethro and his companions lay down to sleep.
They talked long and earnestly of the journey that lay before them;
and when they had exhausted this topic, Chebron said:

"Till now, Jethro, I have not asked you about my father's funeral.
When is it to be? I have thought of it often, but as you did not speak
I thought it better not to question you."

"I was glad you did not," Jethro replied. "It will be in about ten
days' time. As I believed you guessed, Chigron is embalming him; the
process will not be completed for another four days, and, as you know,
the relatives do not see the corpse after it is in the hands of the
embalmer until it is swathed and in the coffin. Chigron has done so
much that must have been against his conscience that I did not like
him to be asked to allow you to break through that custom, which to
him is a sort of religion; beside, dear lad, I thought it better for
yourself not to renew