th my horses
to overtake Paaker's Syrian racers, which he declared to be swifter than
the Egyptian horses. It was a mad race."

"And Amon be praised that it ended as it did," exclaimed the master of
the ceremonies. "Packer's chariot lies dashed in pieces in the valley,
and his best horse is badly hurt."

"He will see to him when he has taken the physician to the house of the
paraschites," said the princess. "Dost thou know, Penbesa--thou anxious
guardian of a thoughtless girl--that to-day for the first time I am glad
that my father is at the war in distant Satiland?"--[Asia].

"He would not have welcomed us kindly!" said the master of the
ceremonies, laughing.

"But the leech, the leech!" cried Bent-Anat. "Packer, it is settled
then. You will conduct him, and bring us to-morrow morning news of the
wounded girl."

Paaker bowed; the princess bowed her head; the priest and his
companions, who meanwhile had come out of the temple and joined him,
raised their hands in blessing, and the belated procession moved towards
the Nile.

Paaker remained alone with his two slaves; the commission with which
the princess had charged him greatly displeased him. So long as the
moonlight enabled him to distinguish the litter of Mena's wife, he gazed
after it; then he endeavored to recollect the position of the hut of the
paraschites. The captain of the watch still stood with the guard at the
gate of the temple.

"Do you know the dwelling of Pinem the paraschites?" asked Paaker.

"What do you want with him?"

"That is no concern of yours," retorted Paaker.

"Lout!" exclaimed the captain, "left face and forwards, my men."

"Halt!" cried Paaker in a rage. "I am the king's chief pioneer."

"Then you will all the more easily find the way back by which you came.
March."

The words were followed by a peal of many-voiced laughter: the
re-echoing insult so confounded Paaker that he dropped his whip on the
ground. The slave, whom a short time since he had struck with it, humbly
picked it up and then followed his lord into the fore court of the
temple. Both attributed the titter, which they still could hear without
being able to detect its origin, to wandering spirits. But the mocking
tones had been heard too by the old gate-keeper, and the laughers were
better known to him than to the king's pioneer; he strode with heavy
steps to the door of the temple through the black shadow of the pylon,
and striking blindly before him called out