, thrifty Semite, would not hearken.

"Is not the fellow worth five hundred shekels in the Carthage market?--but
who will give two for a blind dog?"

And once at the ship the prisoners were stowed in the hold so securely
that even Hiram ceased to concern himself. In the morning some of the
neighbours indeed wondered at Phormio's closed door and the silence of the
jangling voice of Lampaxo; but the fishmonger was after all an exile, and
might have returned suddenly to Attica, now the Persians had retreated
again to Boeotia, and before these surmises could change to misdoubting,
the _Bozra_ was bearing forth into the AEgean.

The business of Hasdrubal with the _Bozra_ at Troezene appeared simple. The
war had disturbed the Greek harvests. He had come accordingly with a cargo
of African corn, and was taking a light return lading of olive oil and
salt fish. But those who walked along the harbour front remarked that the
_Bozra_ was hardly a common merchantman. She was a "sea-mouse," long,
shallow, and very fast under sail; she also carried again an unwontedly
heavy crew. When Hasdrubal's cargo seemed completed, he lingered a couple
of days, alleging he was repairing a cable; then the third morning after
his nocturnal adventure a cipher letter to Democrates sent the
Carthaginian to sea. The letter went thus:--

"Lycon, in the camp of the Greeks in Boeotia, to Democrates in Troezene,
greeting:--The armies have now faced many days. The soothsayers declare
that the aggressor is sure to be defeated, still there has been some
skirmishing in which your Athenians slew Masistes, Mardonius's chief of
cavalry. This, however, is no great loss to us. Your presence with
Aristeides is now urgently needed. Send Hasdrubal and Hiram at once to
Asia with the papers we arranged in Corinth. Come yourself with speed to
the army. Ten days and this merry dice-throwing is ended. _Chaire!_"

Democrates immediately after this gave Hiram a small packet of papyrus
sheets rolled very tight, with the ominous injunction to "conceal
carefully, weight it with lead, and fling it overboard if there is danger
of capture." At which Hiram bowed more elegantly than usual and answered,
"Fear not; it shall be guarded as the priests guard the ark of Moloch, and
when next your slave comes, it is to salute my Lord as the sovran of
Athens."

Hiram smiled fulsomely and departed. An hour later the _Bozra_ ran out on
the light wind around the point of Calauria and into