ts himself be cut off from his army."

"I joined it," answered the crushed heir; "but Herhor commanded to
march around two beetles."

"Dost Thou wish that a priest should make light of religion in the
presence of the army?"

"My father," whispered Ramses, with quivering voice, "to avoid spoiling
the journey of the beetles a canal was destroyed, and a man was
killed."

"That man raised his own hands on himself."

"But that was the fault of Herhor."

"In the regiments which them didst concentrate near Pi-Bailos thirty
men died from over-exertion, and several hundred are sick."

The prince dropped his head.

"Ramses," continued the pharaoh, "through thy lips is speaking not a
dignitary of the state who is thinking of the soundness of canals and
the lives of laborers, but an angry person. Anger does not accord with
justice any more than a falcon with a dove."

"Oh, my father," burst out the heir, "if anger carries me away, it is
because I feel the ill-will of the priests and of Herhor."

"But Thou art thyself the grandson of a high priest; the priests taught
thee. Thou hast learned more of their secrets than any other prince
ever has."

"I have learned their insatiable pride, and greed of power. And because
I will abridge it they are my enemies. Herhor is not willing to give me
even a corps, for he wishes to manage the whole army."

When he had thrown out these incautious words, the heir was frightened.
But the ruler raised his clear glance, and answered quietly,

"I manage the state and the army. From me flow all commands and
decisions. In this world I am the balance of Osiris, and I myself weigh
the services of my servants, be they the heir, a minister, or the
people. Imprudent would he be who should think that all intrigues are
not known to me."

"But, father, if Thou hadst seen with thy own eyes the course of the
maneuvers

"I might have seen a leader," interrupted the pharaoh, "who in the
decisive moment was chasing through the bushes after an Israelite
maiden. But I do not wish to observe such stupidity."

The prince fell at his father's feet, and whispered,

"Did Tutmosis speak to thee of that, lord?"

"Tutmosis is a child, just as Thou art. He piles up debts as chief of
staff in the corps of Memphis, and thinks in his heart that the eyes of
the pharaoh cannot reach to his deeds in the desert."

CHAPTER VII

Some days later Prince Ramses was summoned before the face of his most
worthy m