[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D. W. ]

UARDA

Volume 9. 

By Georg Ebers

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Once or twice Pentaur and his companions had had to defend themselvesagainst hostile mountaineers, who rushed suddenly upon them out of thewoods. When they were about two days' journey still from the end oftheir march, they had a bloody skirmish with a roving band of men thatseemed to belong to a larger detachment of troops. 

The nearer they got to Kadesh, the more familiar Kaschta showed himselfwith every stock and stone, and he went forward to obtain information; hereturned somewhat anxious, for he had perceived the main body of theCheta army on the road which they must cross. How came the enemy here inthe rear of the Egyptian army? Could Rameses have sustained a defeat?

Only the day before they had met some Egyptian soldiers, who had toldthem that the king was staying in the camp, and a great battle wasimpending. This however could not have by this time been decided, andthey had met no flying Egyptians. 

"If we can only get two miles farther without having to fight, " saidUarda's father. "I know what to do. Down below, there is a ravine, andfrom it a path leads over hill and vale to the plain of Kadesh. No oneever knew it but the Mohar and his most confidential servants. Abouthalf-way there is a hidden cave, in which we have often stayed the wholeday long. The Cheta used to believe that the Mohar possessed magicpowers, and could make himself invisible, for when they lay in wait forus on the way we used suddenly to vanish; but certainly not into theclouds, only into the cave, which the Mohar used to call his Tuat. Ifyou are not afraid of a climb, and will lead your horse behind you for amile or two, I can show you the way, and to-morrow evening we will be atthe camp. "

Pentaur let his guide lead the way; they came, without having occasion tofight, as far as the gorge between the hills, through which a full andfoaming mountain torrent rushed to the valley. Kaschta dropped from hishorse, and the others did the same. After the horses had passed throughthe water, he carefully effaced their tracks as far as the road, then forabout half a mile he ascended the valley against the stream. At last hestopped in front of a thick oleander-bush, looked carefully about, andlightly pushed it aside; when he had found an entrance, his companionsand their weary scrambling beasts followed him without difficulty, andthey presently found themselves in a grove of lofty cedars. Now they hadto squeeze themselves between masses of rock, now they labored up anddown over smooth pebbles, which offered scarcely any footing to thehorses' hoofs; now they had to push their way through thick brushwood, and now to cross little brooks swelled by the winter-rains. 

The road became more difficult at every step, then it began to grow dark, and heavy drops of rain fell from the clouded sky. 

"Make haste, and keep close to me, " cried Kaschta. "Half an hour more, and we shall be under shelter, if I do not lose my way. "

Then a horse broke down, and with great difficulty was got up again; therain fell with increased violence, the night grew darker, and the soldieroften found himself brought to a stand-still, feeling for the path withhis hands; twice he thought he had lost it, but he would not give in tillhe had recovered the track. At last he stood still, and called Pentaurto come to him. 

"Hereabouts, " said he, "the cave must be; keep close to me--it ispossible that we may come upon some of the pioneer's people. Provisionsand fuel were always kept here in his father's time. Can you see me?Hold on to my girdle, and bend your head low till I tell you you maystand upright again. Keep your axe ready, we may find some of the Chetaor bandits roosting there. You people must wait, we will soon call youto come under shelter. "

Pentaur closely followed his guide, pushing his way through the drippingbrushwood, crawling through a low passage in the rock, and at lastemerging on a small rocky plateau. 

"Take care where you are going!" cried Kaschta. "Keep to the left, tothe right there is a deep abyss. I smell smoke! Keep your hand on youraxe, there must be some one in the cave. Wait! I will fetch the men asfar as this. "

The soldier went back, and Pentaur listened for any sounds that mightcome from the same direction as the smoke. He fancied he could perceivea small gleam of light, and he certainly heard quite plainly, first atone of complaint, then an angry voice; he went towards the light, feeling his way by the wall on his left; the light shone broader andbrighter, and seemed to issue from a crack in a door. 

By this time the soldier had rejoined Pentaur, and both listened for afew minutes; then the poet whispered to his guide:

"They are speaking Egyptian, I caught a few words. "

"All the better, " said Kaschta. "Paaker or some of his people are inthere; the door is there still, and shut. If we give four hard andthree gentle knocks, it will be opened. Can you understand what they aresaying?"

"Some one is begging to be set free, " replied Pentaur, "and speaks ofsome traitor. The other has a rough voice, and says he must follow hismaster's orders. Now the one who spoke before is crying; do you hear?He is entreating him by the soul of his father to take his fetters off. How despairing his voice is! Knock, Kaschta--it strikes me we are comeat the right moment--knock, I say. "

The soldier knocked first four times, then three times. A shriek rangthrough the cave, and they could hear a heavy, rusty bolt drawn back, theroughly hewn door was opened, and a hoarse voice asked:

"Is that Paaker?"

"No, " answered the soldier, "I am Kaschta. Do not you know me again, Nubi?"

The man thus addressed, who was Paaker's Ethiopian slave, drew back insurprise. 

"Are you still alive?" he exclaimed. "What brings you here?"

"My lord here will tell you, " answered Kaschta as he made way for Pentaurto enter the cave. The poet went up to the black man, and the light ofthe fire which burned in the cave fell full on his face. 

The old slave stared at him, and drew back in astonishment and terror. He threw himself on the earth, howled like a dog that fawns at the feetof his angry master, and cried out:

"He ordered it--Spirit of my master! he ordered it. " Pentaur stoodstill, astounded and incapable of speech, till he perceived a young man, who crept up to him on his hands and feet, which were bound with thongs, and who cried to him in a tone, in which terror was mingled with atenderness which touched Pentaur's very soul. 

"Save me--Spirit of the Mohar! save me, father!" Then the poet spoke. 

"I am no spirit of the dead, " said he. "I am the priest Pentaur; and Iknow you, boy; you are Horus, Paaker's brother, who was brought up withme in the temple of Seti. "

The prisoner approached him trembling, looked at him enquiringly andexclaimed:

"Be you who you may, you are exactly like my father in person and invoice. Loosen my bonds, and listen to me, for the most hideous, atrocious, and accursed treachery threatens us the king and all. "

Pentaur drew his sword, and cut the leather thongs which bound the youngman's hands and feet. He stretched his released limbs, uttering thanksto the Gods, then he cried:

"If you love Egypt and the king follow me; perhaps there is yet time tohinder the hideous deed, and to frustrate this treachery. "

"The night is dark, " said Kaschita, "and the road to the valley isdangerous. "

"You must follow me if it is to your death!" cried the youth, and, seizing Pentaur's hand, he dragged him with him out of the cave. 

As soon as the black slave had satisfied himself that Pentaur was thepriest whom he had seen fighting in front of the paraschites' hovel, andnot the ghost of his dead master, he endeavored to slip past Paaker'sbrother, but Horus observed the manoeuvre, and seized him by his woollyhair. The slave cried out loudly, and whimpered out:

"If thou dost escape, Paaker will kill me; he swore he would. "

"Wait!" said the youth. He dragged the slave back, flung him into thecave, and blocked up the door with a huge log which lay near it for thatpurpose. 

When the three men had crept back through the low passage in the rocks, and found themselves once more in the open air, they found a high windwas blowing. 

"The storm will soon be over, " said Horus. "See how the clouds aredriving! Let us have horses, Pentaur, for there is not a minute to belost. "

The poet ordered Kaschta to summon the people to start but the soldieradvised differently. 

"Men and horses are exhausted, " he said, "and we shall get on very slowlyin the dark. Let the beasts feed for an hour, and the men get rested andwarm; by that time the moon will be up, and we shall make up for thedelay by having fresh horses, and light enough to see the road. "

"The man is right, " said Horus; and he led Kaschta to a cave in therocks, where barley and dates for the horses, and a few jars of wine, hadbeen preserved. They soon had lighted a fire, and while some of the mentook care of the horses, and others cooked a warm mess of victuals, Horusand Pentaur walked up and down impatiently. 

"Had you been long bound in those thongs when we came?" asked Pentaur. 

"Yesterday my brother fell upon me, " replied Horus. "He is by thistime a long way ahead of us, and if he joins the Cheta, and we do notreach the Egyptian camp before daybreak, all is lost. "

"Paaker, then, is plotting treason?"

"Treason, the foulest, blackest treason!" exclaimed the young man. "Oh, my lost father!--"

"Confide in me, " said Pentaur going up to the unhappy youth who hadhidden his face in his hands. "What is Paaker plotting? How is it thatyour brother is your enemy?"

"He is the elder of us two, " said Horus with a trembling voice. "When myfather died I had only a short time before left the school of Seti, andwith his last words my father enjoined me to respect Paaker as the headof our family. He is domineering and violent, and will allow no one'swill to cross his; but I bore everything, and always obeyed him, oftenagainst my better judgment. I remained with him two years, then I wentto Thebes, and there I married, and my wife and child are now livingthere with my mother. About sixteen months afterwards I came back toSyria, and we travelled through the country together; but by this time Idid not choose to be the mere tool of my brother's will, for I had grownprouder, and it seemed to me that the father of my child ought not to besubservient, even to his own brother. We often quarrelled, and had a badtime together, and life became quite unendurable, when--about eight weekssince--Paaker came back from Thebes, and the king gave him to understandthat he approved more of my reports than of his. From my childhood Ihave always been softhearted and patient; every one says I am like mymother; but what Paaker made me suffer by words and deeds, that is--Icould not--" His voice broke, and Pentaur felt how cruelly he hadsuffered; then he went on again:

"What happened to my brother in Egypt, I do not know, for he is veryreserved, and asks for no sympathy, either in joy or in sorrow; but fromwords he has dropped now and then I gather that he not only bitterlyhates Mena, the charioteer--who certainly did him an injury--but has somegrudge against the king too. I spoke to him of it at once, but onlyonce, for his rage is unbounded when he is provoked, and after all he ismy elder brother. 

"For some days they have been preparing in the camp for a decisivebattle, and it was our duty to ascertain the position and strength of theenemy; the king gave me, and not Paaker, the commission to prepare thereport. Early yesterday morning I drew it out and wrote it; then mybrother said he would carry it to the camp, and I was to wait here. Ipositively refused, as Rameses had required the report at my hands, andnot at his. Well, he raved like a madman, declared that I had takenadvantage of his absence to insinuate myself into the king's favor, andcommanded me to obey him as the head of the house, in the name of myfather. 

"I was sitting irresolute, when he went out of the cavern to call hishorses; then my eyes fell on the things which the old black slave wastying together to load on a pack-horse--among them was a roll of writing. I fancied it was my own, and took it up to look at it, when--what shouldI find? At the risk of my life I had gone among the Cheta, and had foundthat the main body of their army is collected in a cross-valley of theOrontes, quite hidden in the mountains to the north-east of Kadesh; andin the roll it was stated, in Paaker's own hand-writing, that that valleyis clear, and the way through it open, and well suited for the passage ofthe Egyptian war-chariots; various other false details were given, andwhen I looked further among his things, I found between the arrows in hisquiver, on which he had written 'death to Mena, ' another little roll ofwriting. I tore it open, and my blood ran cold when I saw to whom it wasaddressed. "

"To the king of the Cheta?" cried Pentaur in excitement. 

"To his chief officer, Titure, " continued Horus. "I was holding both therolls in my hand, when Paaker came back into the cave. 'Traitor!' Icried out to him; but he flung the lasso, with which he had been catchingthe stray horses, threw it round my neck, and as I fell choking on theground, he and the black man, who obeys him like a dog, bound me hand andfoot; he left the old negro to keep guard over me, took the rolls androde away. Look, there are the stars, and the moon will soon be up. "

"Make haste, men!" cried Pentaur. "The three best horses for me, Horus, and Kaschta; the rest remain here. "

As the red-bearded soldier led the horses forward, the moon shone forth, and within an hour the travellers had reached the plain; they sprang onto the beasts and rode madly on towards the lake, which, when the sunrose, gleamed before them in silvery green. As they drew near to it theycould discern, on its treeless western shore, black masses moving hitherand thither; clouds of dust rose up from the plain, pierced by flashes oflight, like the rays of the sun reflected from a moving mirror. 

"The battle is begun!" cried Horus; and he fell sobbing on his horse'sneck. 

"But all is not lost yet!" exclaimed the poet, spurring his horse toa final effort of strength. His companions did the same, but firstKaschta's horse fell under him, then Horus's broke down. 

"Help may be given by the left wing!" cried Horus. "I will run as fastas I can on foot, I know where to find them. You will easily find theking if you follow the stream to the stone bridge. In the cross-valleyabout a thousand paces farther north--to the northwest of our stronghold--the surprise is to be effected. Try to get through, and warn Rameses;the Egyptian pass-word is 'Bent-Anat, ' the name of the king's favoritedaughter. But even if you had wings, and could fly straight to him, theywould overpower him if I cannot succeed in turning the left wing on therear of the enemy. "

Pentaur galloped onwards; but it was not long before his horse too gaveway, and he ran forward like a man who runs a race, and shouted the pass-word "Bent-Anat"--for the ring of her name seemed to give him vigor. Presently he came upon a mounted messenger of the enemy; he struck himdown from his horse, flung himself into the saddle, and rushed on towardsthe camp; as if he were riding to his wedding. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

During the night which had proved so eventful to our friends, much hadoccurred in the king's camp, for the troops were to advance to the long-anticipated battle before sunrise. 

Paaker had given his false report of the enemy's movements to the Pharaohwith his own hand; a council of war had been held, and each division hadreceived instructions as to where it was to take up its position. Thecorps, which bore the name of the Sungod Ra, advanced from the southtowards Schabatun, [Kadesh was the chief city of the Cheta, i. E. Aramaans, round which the united forces of all the peoples of western Asia had collected. There were several cities called Kadesh. That which frequently checked the forces of Thotmes III. May have been situated farther to the south; but the Cheta city of Kadesh, where Rameses II. Fought so hard a battle, was undoubtedly on the Orontes, for the river which is depicted on the pylon of the Ramesseum as parting into two streams which wash the walls of the fortress, is called Aruntha, and in the Epos of Pentaur it is stated that this battle took place at Kadesh by the Orontes. The name of the city survives, at a spot just three miles north of the lake of Riblah. The battle itself I have described from the Epos of Pentaur, the national epic of Egypt. It ends with these words: "This was written and made by the scribe Pentaur. " It was so highly esteemed that it is engraved in stone twice at Luqsor, and once at Karnak. Copies of it on papyrus are frequent; for instance, papyrus Sallier III. And papyrus Raifet--unfortunately much injured--in the Louvre. The principal incident, the rescue of the king from the enemy, is repeated at the Ramessetun at Thebes, and at Abu Simbel. It was translated into French by Vicomte E. De Rouge. The camp of Rameses is depicted on the pylons of Luqsor and the Ramesseum. ]

so as to surround the lake on the east, and fall on the enemy's flank;the corps of Seth, composed of men from lower Egypt, was sent on to Arnamto form the centre; the king himself, with the flower of the chariot-guard, proposed to follow the road through the valley, which Paaker'sreport represented as a safe and open passage to the plain of theOrontes. Thus, while the other divisions occupied the enemy, he couldcross the Orontes by a ford, and fall on the rear of the fortress ofKadesh from the north-west. The corps of Amon, with the Ethiopianmercenaries, were to support him, joining him by another route, which thepioneer's false indications represented as connecting the line ofoperations. The corps of Ptah remained as a reserve behind the leftwing. 

The soldiers had not gone to rest as usual; heavily, armed troops, whobore in one hand a shield of half a man's height, and in the other ascimitar, or a short, pointed sword, guarded the camp, [Representations of Rameses' camp are preserved on the pylons of the temple of Luxor and the Ramesseum. ]

where numerous fires burned, round which crowded the resting warriors. Here a wine-skin was passed from hand to hand, there a joint was roastingon a wooden spit; farther on a party were throwing dice for the bootythey had won, or playing at morra. All was in eager activity, and many ascuffle occurred amoung the excited soldiers, and had to be settled bythe camp-watch. 

Near the enclosed plots, where the horses were tethered, the smiths werebusily engaged in shoeing the beasts which needed it, and in sharpeningthe points of the lances; the servants of the chariot-guard were alsofully occupied, as the chariots had for the most part been brought overthe mountains in detached pieces on the backs of pack-horses and asses, and now had to be put together again, and to have their wheels greased. On the eastern side of the camp stood a canopy, under which the standardswere kept, and there numbers of priests were occupied in their office ofblessing the warriors, offering sacrifices, and singing hymns andlitanies. But these pious sounds were frequently overpowered by the loudvoices of the gamblers and revellers, by the blows of the hammers, thehoarse braying of the asses, and the neighing of the horses. From timeto time also the deep roar of the king's war-lions

 [See Diodorus, 1. 47. Also the pictures of the king rushing to the fight. ]

might be heard; these beasts followed him into the fight, and were nowhowling for food, as they had been kept fasting to excite their fury. 

In the midst of the camp stood the king's tent, surrounded by foot andchariot-guards. The auxiliary troops were encamped in divisionsaccording to their nationality, and between them the Egyptian legions ofheavy-armed soldiers and archers. Here might be seen the black Ethiopianwith wooly matted hair, in which a few feathers were stuck--the handsome, well proportioned "Son of the desert" from the sandy Arabian shore of theRed Sea, who performed his wild war-dance flourishing his lance, with apeculiar wriggle of his--hips pale Sardinians, with metal helmets andheavy swords--light colored Libyans, with tattooed arms and ostrich-feathers on their heads-brown, bearded Arabs, worshippers of the stars, inseparable from their horses, and armed, some with lances, and some withbows and arrows. And not less various than their aspect were the tonguesof the allied troops--but all obedient to the king's word of command. 

In the midst of the royal tents was a lightly constructed temple with thestatues of the Gods of Thebes, and of the king's forefathers; clouds ofincense rose in front of it, for the priests were engaged from the eve ofthe battle until it was over, in prayers, and offerings to Amon, the kingof the Gods, to Necheb, the Goddess of victory, and to Menth, the God ofwar. 

The keeper of the lions stood by the Pharaoh's sleeping-tent, and thetent, which served as a council chamber, was distinguished by thestandards in front of it; but the council-tent was empty and still, whilein the kitchen-tent, as well as in the wine-store close by, all was in abustle. The large pavilion, in which Rameses and his suite were takingtheir evening meal, was more brilliantly lighted than all the others; itwas a covered tent, a long square in shape, and all round it were coloredlamps, which made it as light as day; a body-guard of Sardinians, Libyans, and Egyptians guarded it with drawn swords, and seemed toowholly absorbed with the importance of their office even to notice thedishes and wine-jars, which the king's pages--the sons of the highestfamilies in Egypt--took at the tent-door from the cooks and butlers. 

The walls and slanting roof of this quickly-built and movable banqueting-hall, consisted of a strong, impenetrable carpet-stuff, woven at Thebes, and afterwards dyed purple at Tanis by the Phoenicians. Saitic artistshad embroidered the vulture, one of the forms in which Necheb appears, ahundred times on the costly material with threads of silver. The cedar-wood pillars of the tent were covered with gold, and the ropes, whichsecured the light erection to the tent-pegs, were twisted of silk, andthin threads of silver. Seated round four tables, more than a hundredmen were taking their evening meal; at three of them the generals of thearmy, the chief priests, and councillors, sat on light stools; at thefourth, and at some distance from the others, were the princes of theblood; and the king himself sat apart at a high table, on a thronesupported by gilt figures of Asiatic prisoners in chains. His table andthrone stood on a low dais covered with panther-skin; but even withoutthat Rameses would have towered above his companions. His form waspowerful, and there was a commanding aspect in his bearded face, and inthe high brow, crowned with a golden diadem adorned with the heads of twoUraeus-snakes, wearing the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. A broadcollar of precious stones covered half his breast, the lower half wasconcealed by a scarf or belt, and his bare arms were adorned withbracelets. His finely-proportioned limbs looked as if moulded in bronze, so smoothly were the powerful muscles covered with the shining copper-colored skin. Sitting here among those who were devoted to him, helooked with kind and fatherly pride at his blooming sons. 

The lion was at rest--but nevertheless he was a lion, and terrible thingsmight be looked for when he should rouse himself, and when the mightyhand, which now dispensed bread, should be clenched for the fight. Therewas nothing mean in this man, and yet nothing alarming; for, if his eyehad a commanding sparkle, the expression of his mouth was particularlygentle; and the deep voice which could make itself heard above the clashof fighting men, could also assume the sweetest and most winning tones. His education had not only made him well aware of his greatness andpower, but had left him also a genuine man, a stranger to none of theemotions of the human soul. 

Behind Pharaoh stood a man, younger than himself, who gave him his wine-cup after first touching it with his own lips; this was Mena, the king'scharioteer and favorite companion. His figure was slight and yetvigorous, supple and yet dignified, and his finely-formed features andfrank bright eyes were full at once of self-respect and of benevolence. Such a man might fail in reflection and counsel, but would be admirableas an honorable, staunch, and faithful friend. 

Among the princes, Chamus sat nearest to the king;

 [He is named Cha-em-Us on the monuments, i. E. , 'splendor in Thebes. ' He became the Sam, or high-priest of Memphis. His mummy was discovered by Mariette in the tomb of Apis at Saqqarah during ha excavations of the Serapeum at Memphis. ]

he was the eldest of his sons, and while still young had been investedwith the dignity of high-priest of Memphis. The curly-haired Rameri, who had been rescued from imprisonment--into which he had fallen on hisjourney from Egypt--had been assigned a place with the younger princes atthe lowest end of the table. 

"It all sounds very threatening!" said the king. "But though each ofyou croakers speaks the truth, your love for me dims your sight. Infact, all that Rameri has told me, that Bent-Anat writes, that Mena'sstud-keeper says of Ani, and that comes through other channels--amountsto nothing that need disturb us. I know your uncle--I know that he willmake his borrowed throne as wide as he possibly can; but when we returnhome he will be quite content to sit on a narrow seat again. Greatenterprises and daring deeds are not what he excels in; but he is veryapt at carrying out a ready-made system, and therefore I choose him to bemy Regent. "

"But Ameni, " said Chamus, bowing respectfully to his father, "seems tohave stirred up his ambition, and to support him with his advice. Thechief of the House of Seti is a man of great ability, and at least halfof the priesthood are his adherents. "

"I know it, " replied the king. "Their lordships owe me a grudge becauseI have called their serfs to arms, and they want them to till theiracres. A pretty sort of people they have sent me! their courage flieswith the first arrow. They shall guard the camp tomorrow; they will beequal to that when it is made clear to their understanding that, if theylet the tents be taken, the bread, meat and wines-skins will also fallinto the hands of the enemy. If Kadesh is taken by storm, the temples ofthe Nile shall have the greater part of the spoil, and you yourself, myyoung high-priest of Memphis, shall show your colleagues that Ramesesrepays in bushels that which he has taken in handfuls from the ministersof the Gods. "

"Ameni's disaffection, " replied Chamus, "has a deeper root; thy mightyspirit seeks and finds its own way--"

"But their lordships, " interrupted Rameses, "are accustomed to govern theking too, and I--I do not do them credit. I rule as vicar of the Lord ofthe Gods, but--I myself am no God, though they attribute to me the honorsof a divinity; and in all humility of heart I willingly leave it to themto be the mediators between the Immortals and me or my people. Humanaffairs certainly I choose to manage in my own way. And now no more ofthem. I cannot bear to doubt my friends, and trustfulness is so dear, soessential to me, that I must indulge in it even if my confidence resultsin my being deceived. "

The king glanced at Mena, who handed him a golden cup--which he emptied. He looked at the glittering beaker, and then, with a flash of his grave, bright eyes, he added:

"And if I am betrayed--if ten such as Ameni and Ani entice my people intoa snare--I shall return home, and will tread the reptiles into dust. "

His deep voice rang out the words, as if he were a herald proclaiming avictorious deed of arms. Not a word was spoken, not a hand moved, whenhe ceased speaking. Then he raised his cup, and said:

"It is well before the battle to uplift our hearts! We have done greatdeeds; distant nations have felt our hand; we have planted our pillars ofconquest by their rivers, and graven the record of our deeds on theirrocks. 

 [Herodotus speaks of the pictures graven on the rocks in the provinces conquered by Rameses II. , in memory of his achievements. He saw two, one of which remains on a rock near Beyrut. ]

Your king is great above all kings, and it is through the might of theGods, and your valor my brave comrades. May to-morrow's fight bring usnew glory! May the Immortals soon bring this war to a close! Empty yourwine cups with me--To victory and a speedy return home in peace!"

"Victory! Victory! Long life to the Pharaoh! Strength and health!"cried the guests of the king, who, as he descended from his throne, criedto the drinkers:

"Now, rest till the star of Isis sets. Then follow me to prayer at thealtar of Amon, and then-to battle. "

Fresh cries of triumph sounded through the room, while Rameses gave hishand with a few words of encouragement to each of his sons in turn. Hedesired the two youngest, Mernephtah and Rameri to follow him, andquitting the banquet with them and Mena, he proceeded, under the escortof his officers and guards, who bore staves before him with golden liliesand ostrich-feathers, to his sleeping-tent, which was surrounded by acorps d'elite under the command of his sons. Before entering the tent heasked for some pieces of meat, and gave them with his own hand to hislions, who let him stroke them like tame cats. 

Then he glanced round the stable, patted the sleek necks and shoulders ofhis favorite horses, and decided that 'Nura' and 'Victory to Thebes'should bear him into the battle on the morrow. 

 [The horses driven by Rameses at the battle of Kadesh were in fact thus named. ]

When he had gone into the sleeping-tent, he desired his attendants toleave him; he signed Mena to divest him of his ornaments and his arms, and called to him his youngest sons, who were waiting respectfully at thedoor of the tent. 

Why did I desire you to accompany me?" he asked them gravely. Both weresilent, and he repeated his question. 

"Because, " said Rameri at length, "you observed that all was not quiteright between us two. "

"And because, " continued the king, "I desire that unity should existbetween my children. You will have enemies enough to fight with to-morrow, but friends are not often to be found, and are too often takenfrom us by the fortune of war. We ought to feel no anger towards thefriend we may lose, but expect to meet him lovingly in the other world. Speak, Rameri, what has caused a division between you?"

"I bear him no ill-will, " answered Rameri. "You lately gave me the swordwhich Mernephtah has there stuck in his belt, because I did my duty wellin the last skirmish with the enemy. You know we both sleep in the sametent, and yesterday, when I drew my sword out of its sheath to admire thefine work of the blade, I found that another, not so sharp, had been putin its place. "

"I had only exchanged my sword for his in fun, " interrupted Mernephtah. "But he can never take a joke, and declared I want to wear a prize that Ihad not earned; he would try, he said, to win another and then--"

"I have heard enough; you have both done wrong, " said the King. "Even infun, Mernephtah, you should never cheat or deceive. I did so once, and Iwill tell you what happened, as a warning. 

"My noble mother, Tuaa, desired me, the first time I went into Fenchu--[Phoenicia: on monuments of the 18th dynasty. ]--to bring her a pebblefrom the shore near Byblos, where the body of Osiris was washed. As wereturned to Thebes, my mother's request returned to my mind; I was youngand thoughtless--I picked up a stone by the way-side, took it with me, and when she asked me for the remembrance from Byblos I silently gave herthe pebble from Thebes. She was delighted, she showed it to her brothersand sisters, and laid it by the statues of her ancestors; but I wasmiserable with shame and penitence, and at last I secretly took away thestone, and threw it into the water. All the servants were calledtogether, and strict enquiry was made as to the theft of the stone; thenI could hold out no longer, and confessed everything. No one punishedme, and yet I never suffered more severely; from that time I have neverdeviated from the exact truth even in jest. Take the lesson to heart, Mernephtah--you, Rameri, take back your sword, and, believe me, lifebrings us so many real causes of vexation, that it is well to learn earlyto pass lightly over little things if you do not wish to become a surlyfellow like the pioneer Paaker; and that seems far from likely with agay, reckless temper like yours. Now shake hands with each other. "

The young princes went up to each other, and Rameri fell on his brother'sneck and kissed him. The king stroked their heads. "Now go in peace, "he said, "and to-morrow you shall both strive to win a fresh mark ofhonor. "

When his sons had left the tent, Rameses turned to his charioteer andsaid: "I have to speak to you too before the battle. I can read yoursoul through your eyes, and it seems to me that things have gone wrongwith you since the keeper of your stud arrived here. What has happenedin Thebes?" Mena looked frankly, but sadly at the king:

"My mother-in-law Katuti, " he said, "is managing my estate very badly, pledging the land, and selling the cattle. "

"That can be remedied, " said Rameses kindly. "You know I promised togrant you the fulfilment of a wish, if Nefert trusted you as perfectly asyou believe. But it appears to me as if something more nearly concerningyou than this were wrong, for I never knew you anxious about money andlands. Speak openly! you know I am your father, and the heart and theeye of the man who guides my horses in battle, must be open withoutreserve to my gaze. "

Mena kissed the king's robe; then he said:

"Nefert has left Katuti's house, and as thou knowest has followed thydaughter, Bent-Anat, to the sacred mountain, and to Megiddo. "

"I thought the change was a good one, " replied Rameses. "I leave Bent-Anat in the care of Bent-Anat, for she needs no other guardianship, andyour wife can have no better protector than Bent-Anat. "

"Certainly not!" exclaimed Mena with sincere emphasis. "But beforethey started, miserable things occurred. Thou knowest that before shemarried me she was betrothed to her cousin, the pioneer Paaker, and he, during his stay in Thebes, has gone in and out of my house, has helpedKatuti with an enormous sum to pay the debts of my wild brother-in-law, and-as my stud-keeper saw with his own eyes-has made presents of flowersto Nefert. "

The king smiled, laid his hand on Mena's shoulder, and said, as he lookedin his face: "Your wife will trust you, although you take a strange womaninto your tent, and you allow yourself to doubt her because her cousingives her some flowers! Is that wise or just? I believe you are jealousof the broad-shouldered ruffian that some spiteful Wight laid in the nestof the noble Mohar, his father. "

"No, that I am not, " replied Mena, "nor does any doubt of Nefert disturbmy soul; but it torments me, it nettles me, it disgusts me, that Paakerof all men, whom I loathe as a venomous spider, should look at her andmake her presents under my very roof. "

"He who looks for faith must give faith, " said the king. "And must not Imyself submit to accept songs of praise from the most contemptiblewretches? Come--smooth your brow; think of the approaching victory, ofour return home, and remember that you have less to forgive Paaker thanhe to forgive you. Now, pray go and see to the horses, and to-morrowmorning let me see you on my chariot full of cheerful courage--as I loveto see you. "

Mena left the tent, and went to the stables; there he met Rameri, who waswaiting to speak to him. The eager boy said that he had always looked upto him and loved him as a brilliant example, but that lately he had beenperplexed as to his virtuous fidelity, for he had been informed that Menahad taken a strange woman into his tent--he who was married to thefairest and sweetest woman in Thebes. 

"I have known her, " he concluded, "as well as if I were her brother; andI know that she would die if she heard that you had insulted anddisgraced her. Yes, insulted her; for such a public breach of faith isan insult to the wife of an Egyptian. Forgive my freedom of speech, butwho knows what to-morrow may bring forth--and I would not for worlds goout to battle, thinking evil of you. "

Mena let Rameri speak without interruption, and then answered:

"You are as frank as your father, and have learned from him to hear thedefendant before you condemn him. A strange maiden, the daughter of theking of the Danaids, [A people of the Greeks at the time of the Trojan war. They are mentioned among the nations of the Mediterranean allied against Rameses III. The Dardaneans were inhabitants of the Trojan provinces of Dardanin, and whose name was used for the Trojans generally. ]

lives in my tent, but I for months have slept at the door of yourfather's, and I have not once entered my own since she has been there. Now sit down by me, and let me tell you how it all happened. We hadpitched the camp before Kadesh, and there was very little for me to do, as Rameses was still laid up with his wound, so I often passed my time inhunting on the shores of the lake. One day I went as usual, armed onlywith my bow and arrow, and, accompanied by my grey-hounds, heedlesslyfollowed a hare; a troop of Danaids fell upon me, bound me with cords, and led me into their camp. 

 [Grey-hounds, trained to hunt hares, are represented in the most ancient tombs, for instance, the Mastaba at Meydum, belonging to the time of Snefru (four centuries B. C. ). ]

There I was led before the judges as a spy, and they had actuallycondemned me, and the rope was round my neck, when their king came up, saw me, and subjected me to a fresh examination. I told him the factsat full length--how I had fallen into the hands of his people whilefollowing up my game, and not as an enemy, and he heard me favorably, and granted me not only life but freedom. He knew me for a noble, andtreated me as one, inviting me to feed at his own table, and I swore inmy heart, when he let me go, that I would make him some return for hisgenerous conduct. 

"About a month after, we succeeded in surprising the Cheta position, andthe Libyan soldiers, among other spoil, brought away the Danaid king'sonly daughter. I had behaved valiantly, and when we came to the divisionof the spoils Rameses allowed me to choose first. I laid my hand on themaid, the daughter of my deliverer and host, I led her to my tent, andleft her there with her waiting-women till peace is concluded, and I canrestore her to her father. "

"Forgive my doubts!" cried Rameri holding out his hand. "Now Iunderstand why the king so particularly enquired whether Nefert believedin your constancy to her. "

"And what was your answer?" asked Mena. 

"That she thinks of you day and night, and never for an instant doubtedyou. My father seemed delighted too, and he said to Chamus: 'He has wonthere!"

"He will grant me some great favor, " said Mena in explanation, "if, whenshe hears I have taken a strange maiden to my tent her confidence in meis not shaken, Rameses considers it simply impossible, but I know that Ishall win. Why! she must trust me. "

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Before the battle, [The battle about to be described is taken entirely from the epos of Pentaur. ]

prayers were offered and victims sacrificed for each division of thearmy. Images of the Gods were borne through the ranks in their festalbarks, and miraculous relics were exhibited to the soldiers; heraldsannounced that the high-priest had found favorable omens in the victimsoffered by the king, and that the haruspices foretold a glorious victory. Each Egyptian legion turned with particular faith to the standard whichbore the image of the sacred animal or symbol of the province where ithad been levied, but each soldier was also provided with charms andamulets of various kinds; one had tied to his neck or arm a magical textin a little bag, another the mystic preservative eye, and most of themwore a scarabaeus in a finger ring. Many believed themselves protectedby having a few hairs or feathers of some sacred animal, and not a fewput themselves under the protection of a living snake or beetle carefullyconcealed in a pocket of their apron or in their little provision-sack. 

When the king, before whom were carried the images of the divine Triad ofThebes, of Menth, the God of War and of Necheb, the Goddess of Victory, reviewed the ranks, he was borne in a litter on the shoulders of twenty-four noble youths; at his approach the whole host fell on their knees, and did not rise till Rameses, descending from his position, had, in thepresence of them all, burned incense, and made a libation to the Gods, and his son Chamus had delivered to him, in the name of the Immortals, the symbols of life and power. Finally, the priests sang a choral hymnto the Sun-god Ra, and to his son and vicar on earth, the king. 

Just as the troops were put in motion, the paling stars appeared inthe sky, which had hitherto been covered with thick clouds; and thisoccurrence was regarded as a favorable omen, the priests declaring tothe army that, as the coming Ra had dispersed the clouds, so the Pharaohwould scatter his enemies. 

With no sound of trumpet or drum, so as not to arouse the enemy, thefoot-soldiers went forward in close order, the chariot-warriors, each inhis light two-wheeled chariot drawn by two horses, formed their ranks, and the king placed himself at their head. On each side of the giltchariot in which he stood, a case was fixed, glittering with preciousstones, in which were his bows and arrows. His noble horses were richlycaparisoned; purple housings, embroidered with turquoise beads, coveredtheir backs and necks, and a crown-shaped ornament was fixed on theirheads, from which fluttered a bunch of white ostrich-feathers. At theend of the ebony pole of the chariot, were two small padded yokes, whichrested on the necks of the horses, who pranced in front as if playingwith the light vehicle, pawed the earth with their small hoofs, andtossed and curved their slender necks. 

The king wore a shirt of mail, [The remains of a shirt of mail, dating from the time of Scheschenk I. (Sesonchis), who belonged to the 22d dynasty, is in the British Museum. It is made of leather, on which bronze scales are fastened. ]

over which lay the broad purple girdle of his apron, and on his head wasthe crown of Upper and Lower Egypt; behind him stood Mena, who, with hisleft hand, tightly held the reins, and with his right the shield whichwas to protect his sovereign in the fight. 

The king stood like a storm-proof oak, and Mena by his side like asapling ash. 

The eastern horizon was rosy with the approaching sun-rise when theyquitted the precincts of the camp; at this moment the pioneer Paakeradvanced to meet the king, threw himself on the ground before him, kissedthe earth, and, in answer to the king's question as to why he had comewithout his brother, told him that Horus was taken suddenly ill. Theshades of dawn concealed from the king the guilty color, which changedto sallow paleness, on the face of the pioneer--unaccustomed hitherto tolying and treason. 

"How is it with the enemy?" asked Rameses. 

"He is aware, " replied Paaker, "that a fight is impending, and iscollecting numberless hosts in the camps to the south and east of thecity. If thou could'st succeed in falling on the rear from the north ofKadesh, while the foot soldiers seize the camp of the Asiatics from thesouth, the fortress will be thine before night. The mountain path thatthou must follow, so as not to be discovered, is not a bad one. "

"Are you ill as well as your brother, man?" asked the king. "Your voicetrembles. "

"I was never better, " answered the Mohar. 

Lead the way, " commanded the king, and Paaker obeyed. They went on insilence, followed by the vast troop of chariots through the dewy morningair, first across the plain, and then into the mountain range. The corpsof Ra, armed with bows and arrows, preceeded them to clear the way; theycrossed the narrow bed of a dry torrent, and then a broad valley openedbefore them, extending to the right and left and enclosed by ranges ofmountains. 

"The road is good, " said Rameses, turning to Mena. "The Mohar haslearned his duties from his father, and his horses are capital. Now heleads the way, and points it out to the guards, and then in a moment heis close to us again. "

"They are the golden-bays of my breed, " said Mena, and the veins startedangrily in his forehead. "My stud-master tells me that Katuti sent themto him before his departure. They were intended for Nefert's chariot, and he drives them to-day to defy and spite me. "

"You have the wife--let the horses go, " said Rameses soothingly. 

Suddenly a blast of trumpets rang through the morning air; whence it camecould not be seen, and yet it sounded close at hand. 

Rameses started up and took his battle-axe from his girdle, the horsespricked their ears, and Mena exclaimed:

"Those are the trumpets of the Cheta! I know the sound. "

A closed wagon with four wheels in which the king's lions were conveyed, followed the royal chariot. "Let loose the lions!" cried the king, whoheard an echoing war cry, and soon after saw the vanguard which hadpreceded him, and which was broken up by the chariots of the enemy, flying towards him down the valley again. 

The wild beasts shook their manes and sprang in front of their master'schariot with loud roars. Mena lashed his whip, the horses startedforward and rushed with frantic plunges towards the fugitives, whohowever could not be brought to a standstill, or rallied by the king'svoice--the enemy were close upon them, cutting them down. 

"Where is Paaker?" asked the king. But the pioneer had vanished ascompletely as if the earth had swallowed him and his chariot. 

The flying Egyptians and the death-dealing chariots of the enemy camenearer and nearer, the ground trembled, the tramp of hoofs and the roarof wheels sounded louder and louder, like the roll of a rapidlyapproaching storm. 

Then Rameses gave out a war cry, that rang back from the cliffs on theright hand and on the left like the blast of a trumpet; his chariot-guardjoined in the shout--for an instant the flying Egyptians paused, but onlyto rush on again with double haste, in hope of escape and safety:suddenly the war-cry of the enemy was heard behind the king, minglingwith the trumpet-call of the Cheta, and out from a cross valley, whichthe king had passed unheeded by--and into which Paaker had disappeared--came an innumerable host of chariots which, before the king couldretreat, had broken through the Egyptian ranks, and cut him off from thebody of his army. Behind him he could hear the roar and shock of thebattle, in front of him he saw the fugitives, the fallen, and the enemygrowing each instant in numbers and fury. He saw the whole danger, anddrew up his powerful form as if to prove whether it were an equal matchfor such a foe. Then, raising his voice to such a pitch, that it soundedabove the cries and groans of the fighting men, the words of command, theneighing of the horses, the crash of overthrown chariots, the dull whirrof lances and swords, their heavy blows on shields and helmets, and thewhole bewildering tumult of the battle--with a loud shout he drew hisbow, and his first arrow pierced a Cheta chief. 

His lions sprang forward, and carried confusion into the hosts that werecrowding down upon him, for many of their horses became unmanageable atthe roar of the furious brutes, overthrew the chariots, and so hemmed theadvance of the troops in the rear. Rameses sent arrow after arrow, whileMena covered him with the shield from the shots of the enemy. His horsesmeanwhile had carried him forward, and he could fell the foremost of theAsiatics with his battle-axe; close by his side fought Rameri and threeother princes; in front of him were the lions. 

The press was fearful, and the raging of the battle wild and deafening, like the roar of the surging ocean when it is hurled by a hurricaneagainst a rocky coast. 

Mena seemed to be in two places at once, for, while he guided the horsesforwards, backwards, or to either hand, as the exigences of the positiondemanded, not one of the arrows shot at the king touched him. His eyewas everywhere, the shield always ready, and not an eyelash of the younghero trembled, while Rameses, each moment more infuriated, incited hislions with wild war-cries, and with flashing eyes advanced farther andfarther into the enemy's ranks. 

Three arrows aimed, not at the king but at Mena himself, were sticking inthe charioteer's shield, and by chance he saw written on the shaft of oneof them the words "Death to Mena. "

A fourth arrow whizzed past him. His eye followed its flight, and as hemarked the spot whence it had come, a fifth wounded his shoulder, and hecried out to the king:

"We are betrayed! Look over there! Paaker is fighting with the Cheta. "

Once more the Mohar had bent his bow, and came so near to the king'schariot that he could be heard exclaiming in a hoarse voice, as he letthe bowstring snap, "Now I will reckon with you--thief! robber! My brideis your wife, but with this arrow I will win Mena's widow. "

The arrow cut through the air, and fell with fearful force on thecharioteer's helmet; the shield fell from his grasp, and he put his handto his head, feeling stunned; he heard Paaker's laugh of triumph, he feltanother of his enemy's arrows cut his wrist, and, beside himself withrage, he flung away the reins, brandished his battle-axe, and forgettinghimself and his duty, sprang from the chariot and rushed upon Paaker. The Mohar awaited him with uplifted sword; his lips were white, his eyesbloodshot, his wide nostrils trembled like those of an over-driven horse, and foaming and hissing he flew at his mortal foe. The king saw the twoengaged in a struggle, but he could not interfere, for the reins whichMena had dropped were dragging on the ground, and his ungoverned horses, following the lions, carried him madly onwards. 

Most of his comrades had fallen, the battle raged all round him, butRameses stood as firm as a rock, held the shield in front of him, andswung the deadly battle-axe; he saw Rameri hastening towards him with hishorses, the youth was fighting like a hero, and Rameses called out toencourage him: "Well done! a worthy grandson of Seti!"

"I will win a new sword!" cried the boy, and he cleft the skull of oneof his antagonists. But he was soon surrounded by the chariots of theenemy; the king saw the enemy pull down the young prince's horses, andall his comrades--among whom were many of the best warriors--turn theirhorses in flight. 

Then one of the lions was pierced by a lance, and sank with a dying roarof rage and pain that was heard above all the tumult. The king himselfhad been grazed by an arrow, a sword stroke had shivered his shield, andhis last arrow had been shot away. 

Still spreading death around him, he saw death closing in upon him, and, without giving up the struggle, he lifted up his voice in fervent prayer, calling on Amon for support and rescue. 

While thus in the sorest need he was addressing himself to the Lords ofHeaven, a tall Egyptian suddenly appeared in the midst of the struggleand turmoil of the battle, seized the reins, and sprang into the chariotbehind the king, to whom he bowed respectfully. For the first timeRameses felt a thrill of fear. Was this a miracle? Had Amon heard hisprayer?

He looked half fearfully round at his new charioteer, and when he fanciedhe recognized the features of the deceased Mohar, the father of thetraitor Paaker, he believed that Amon had assumed this aspect, and hadcome himself to save him. 

"Help is at hand!" cried his new companion. "If we hold our own foronly a short time longer, thou art saved, and victory is ours. "

Then once more Rameses raised his war-cry, felled a Cheta, who wasstanding close to him to the ground, with a blow on his skull, while themysterious supporter by his side, who covered him with the shield, on hispart also dealt many terrible strokes. 

Thus some long minutes passed in renewed strife; then a trumpet soundedabove the roar of the battle, and this time Rameses recognized the callof the Egyptians; from behind a low ridge on his right rushed somethousands of men of the foot-legion of Ptah who, under the command ofHorus, fell upon the enemy's flank. They saw their king, and the dangerhe was in. They flung themselves with fury on the foes that surroundedhim, dealing death as they advanced, and putting the Cheta to flight, andsoon Rameses saw himself safe, and protected by his followers. 

But his mysterious friend in need had vanished. He had been hit by anarrow, and had fallen to the earth--a quite mortal catastrophe; butRameses still believed that one of the Immortals had come to his rescue. 

But the king granted no long respite to his horses and his fighting-men;he turned to go back by the way by which he had come, fell upon theforces which divided him from the main army, took them in the rear whilethey were still occupied with his chariot-brigade which was alreadygiving way, and took most of the Asiatics prisoners who escaped thearrows and swords of the Egyptians. Having rejoined the main body ofthe troops, he pushed forwards across the plain where the Asiatic horseand chariot-legions were engaged with the Egyptian swordsmen, and forcedthe enemy back upon the river Orontes and the lake of Kadesh. Night-fallput an end to the battle, though early next morning the struggle wasrenewed. 

Utter discouragement had fallen upon the Asiatic allies, who had goneinto battle in full security of victory; for the pioneer Paaker hadbetrayed his king into their hands. 

When the Pharaoh had set out, the best chariot-warriors of the Cheta weredrawn up in a spot concealed by the city, and sent forward againstRameses through the northern opening of the valley by which he was topass, while other troops of approved valor, in all two thousand fivehundred chariots, were to fall upon him from a cross valley where theytook up their position during the night. 

These tactics had been successfully carried out, and notwithstanding theAsiatics had suffered a severe defeat--besides losing some of theirnoblest heroes, among them Titure their Chancellor, and Chiropasar, thechronicler of the Cheta king, who could wield the sword as effectively asthe pen, and who, it was intended, should celebrate the victory of theallies, and perpetuate its glory to succeeding generations. Rameses hadkilled one of these with his own hands, and his unknown companion theother, and besides these many other brave captains of the enemy's troops. The king was greeted as a god, when he returned to the camp, with shoutsof triumph and hymns of praise. 

Even the temple-servants, and the miserable troops from Upper Egypt-ground down by the long war, and bought over by Ani--were carried away bythe universal enthusiasm, and joyfully hailed the hero and king who hadsuccessfully broken the stiff necks of his enemies. 

The next duty was to seek out the dead and wounded; among the latter wasMena; Rameri also was missing, but news was brought next day that he hadfallen into the hands of the enemy, and he was immediately exchanged forthe princess who had been sheltered in Mena's tent. 

Paaker had disappeared; but the bays which he had driven into the battlewere found unhurt in front of his ruined and blood-sprinkled chariot. 

The Egyptians were masters of Kadesh, and Chetasar, the king of theCheta, sued to be allowed to treat for peace, in his own name and in thatof his allies; but Rameses refused to grant any terms till he hadreturned to the frontier of Egypt. The conquered peoples had no choice, and the representative of the Cheta king--who himself was wounded--andtwelve princes of the principal nations who had fought against Rameses, were forced to follow his victorious train. Every respect was shownthem, and they were treated as the king himself, but they were none theless his prisoners. The king was anxious to lose no time, for sadsuspicion filled his heart; a shadow hitherto unknown to his bright andgenial nature had fallen upon his spirit. 

This was the first occasion on which one of his own people had betrayedhim to the enemy. Paaker's deed had shaken his friendly confidence, andin his petition for peace the Cheta prince had intimated that Ramesesmight find much in his household to be set to rights--perhaps with astrong hand. 

The king felt himself more than equal to cope with Ani, the priests, andall whom he had left in Egypt; but it grieved him to be obliged to feelany loss of confidence, and it was harder to him to bear than any reverseof fortune. It urged him to hasten his return to Egypt. 

There was another thing which embittered his victory. Mena, whom heloved as his own son, who understood his lightest sign, who, as soon asbe mounted his chariot, was there by his side like a part of himself--hadbeen dismissed from his office by the judgment of the commander-in-chief, and no longer drove his horses. He himself had been obliged to confirmthis decision as just and even mild, for that man was worthy of death whoexposed his king to danger for the gratification of his own revenge. 

Rameses had not seen Mena since his struggle with Paaker, but he listenedanxiously to the news which was brought him of the progress of his sorelywounded officer. 

The cheerful, decided, and practical nature of Rameses was averse toevery kind of dreaminess or self-absorption, and no one had ever seenhim, even in hours of extreme weariness, give himself up to vague andmelancholy brooding; but now he would often sit gazing at the ground inwrapt meditation, and start like an awakened sleeper when his reverie wasdisturbed by the requirements of the outer world around him. A hundredtimes before he had looked death in the face, and defied it as he wouldany other enemy, but now it seemed as though he felt the cold hand ofthe mighty adversary on his heart. He could not forget the oppressivesense of helplessness which had seized him when he had felt himself atthe mercy of the unrestrained horses, like a leaf driven by the wind, andthen suddenly saved by a miracle. 

A miracle? Was it really Amon who had appeared in human form at hiscall? Was he indeed a son of the Gods, and did their blood flow in hisveins?

The Immortals had shown him peculiar favor, but still he was but a man;that he realized from the pain in his wound, and the treason to which hehad been a victim. He felt as if he had been respited on the veryscaffold. Yes; he was a man like all other men, and so he would stillbe. He rejoiced in the obscurity that veiled his future, in the manyweaknesses which he had in common with those whom he loved, and even inthe feeling that he, under the same conditions of life as hiscontemporaries, had more responsibilities than they. 

Shortly after his victory, after all the important passes and strongholdshad been conquered by his troops, he set out for Egypt with his train andthe vanquished princes. He sent two of his sons to Bent-Anat at Megiddo, to escort her by sea to Pelusium; he knew that the commandant of theharbor of that frontier fortress, at the easternmost limit of hiskingdom, was faithful to him, and he ordered that his daughter should notquit the ship till he arrived, to secure her against any attempt on thepart of the Regent. A large part of the material of war, and most of thewounded, were also sent to Egypt by sea. 

CHAPTER XL. 

Nearly three months had passed since the battle of Kadesh, and to-day theking was expected, on his way home with his victorious army, at Pelusium, the strong hold and key of Egyptian dominion in the east. Splendidpreparations had been made for his reception, and the man who took thelead in the festive arrangements with a zeal that was doubly effectivefrom his composed demeanor was no less a person than the Regent Ani. 

His chariot was to be seen everywhere: now he was with the workmen, whowere to decorate triumphal arches with fresh flowers; now with theslaves, who were hanging garlands on the wooden lions erected on the roadfor this great occasion; now--and this detained him longest--he watchedthe progress of the immense palace which was being rapidly constructed ofwood on the site where formerly the camp of the Hyksos had stood, inwhich the actual ceremony of receiving the king was to take place, andwhere the Pharaoh and his immediate followers were to reside. It hadbeen found possible, by employing several thousand laborers, to erectthis magnificent structure, in a few weeks, and nothing was lacking to itthat could be desired, even by a king so accustomed as Rameses toluxury and splendor. A high exterior flight of steps led from thegarden--which had been created out of a waste--to the vestibule, out of which the banqueting hall opened. 

This was of unusual height, and had a vaulted wooden ceiling, which waspainted blue and sprinkled with stars, to represent the night heavens, and which was supported on pillars carved, some in the form of date-palms, and some like cedars of Lebanon; the leaves and twigs consisted ofartfully fastened and colored tissue; elegant festoons of bluish gauzewere stretched from pillar to pillar across the hall, and in the centreof the eastern wall they were attached to a large shell-shaped canopyextending over the throne of the king, which was decorated with pieces ofgreen and blue glass, of mother of pearl, of shining plates of mica, andother sparkling objects. 

The throne itself had the shape of a buckler, guarded by two lions, whichrested on each side of it and formed the arms, and supported on the backsof four Asiatic captives who crouched beneath its weight. Thick carpets, which seemed to have transported the sea-shore on to the dry land-fortheir pale blue ground was strewn with a variety of shells, fishes, andwater plants-covered the floor of the banqueting hall, in which threehundred seats were placed by the tables, for the nobles of the kingdomand the officers of the troops. 

Above all this splendor hung a thousand lamps, shaped like lilies andtulips, and in the entrance hall stood a huge basket of roses to bestrewn before the king when he should arrive. 

Even the bed-rooms for the king and his suite were splendidly decorated;finely embroidered purple stuffs covered the walls, a light cloud of paleblue gauze hung across the ceiling, and giraffe skins were laid insteadof carpets on the floors. 

The barracks intended for the soldiers and bodyguard stood nearer to thecity, as well as the stable buildings, which were divided from the palaceby the garden which surrounded it. A separate pavilion, gilt andwreathed with flowers, was erected to receive the horses which hadcarried the king through the battle, and which he had dedicated to theSun-God. 

The Regent Ani, accompanied by Katuti, was going through the whole ofthese slightly built structures. 

"It seems to me all quite complete, " said the widow. 

"Only one thing I cannot make up my mind about, " replied Ani, "whethermost to admire your inventive genius or your exquisite taste. "

"Oh! let that pass, " said Katuti smiling. "If any thing deserves yourpraise it is my anxiety to serve you. How many things had to beconsidered before this structure at last stood complete on this marshyspot where the air seemed alive with disgusting insects and now it isfinished how long will it last?"

Ani looked down. "How long?" he repeated. Then he continued: "There isgreat risk already of the plot miscarrying. Ameni has grown cool, andwill stir no further in the matter; the troops on which I counted areperhaps still faithful to me, but much too weak; the Hebrews, who tendtheir flocks here, and whom I gained over by liberating them from forcedlabor, have never borne arms. And you know the people. They will kissthe feet of the conqueror if they have to wade up to there through theblood of their children. Besides--as it happens--the hawk which old Hektkeeps as representing me is to-day pining and sick--"

"It will be all the prouder and brighter to-morrow if you are a man!"exclaimed Katuti, and her eyes sparkled with scorn. "You cannot nowretreat. Here in Pelusium you welcome Rameses as if he were a God, and he accepts the honor. I know the king, he is too proud to bedistrustful, and so conceited that he can never believe himself deceivedin any man, either friend or foe. The man whom he appointed to be hisRegent, whom he designated as the worthiest in the land, he will mostunwillingly condemn. Today you still have the car of the king; to-morrowhe will listen to your enemies, and too much has occurred in Thebes to beblotted out. You are in the position of a lion who has his keeper on oneside, and the bars of his cage on the other. If you let the moment passwithout striking you will remain in the cage; but if you act and showyourself a lion your keepers are done for!"

"You urge me on and on, " said Ani. "But supposing your plan were tofail, as Paaker's well considered plot failed?"

"Then you are no worse off than you are now, " answered Katuti. "The Godsrule the elements, not men. Is it likely that you should finish sobeautiful a structure with such care only to destroy it? And we have noaccomplices, and need none. "

"But who shall set the brand to the room which Nemu and the slave havefilled with straw and pitch?" asked Ani. 

"I, " said Katuti decidedly. "And one who has nothing to look for fromRameses. "

"Who is that?"

"Paaker. "

Is the Mohar here?" asked the Regent surprised. 

"You yourself have seen him. "

"You are mistaken, " said Ani. "I should--"

"Do you recollect the one-eyed, grey-haired, blackman, who yesterdaybrought me a letter? That was my sister's son. "

The Regent struck his forehead--"Poor wretch" he muttered. 

"He is frightfully altered, " said Katuti. "He need not have blackenedhis face, for his own mother would not know him again: He lost an eye inhis fight with Mena, who also wounded him in the lungs with a thrust ofhis sword, so that he breathes and speaks with difficulty, his broadshoulders have lost their flesh, and the fine legs he swaggered about onhave shrunk as thin as a negro's. I let him pass as my servant withoutany hesitation or misgiving. He does not yet know of my purpose, but Iam sure that he would help us if a thousand deaths threatened him. ForGod's sake put aside all doubts and fears! We will shake the tree foryou, if you will only hold out your hand to-morrow to pick up the fruit. Only one thing I must beg. Command the head butler not to stint thewine, so that the guards may give us no trouble. I know that you gavethe order that only three of the five ships which brought the contents ofyour winelofts should be unloaded. I should have thought that the futureking of Egypt might have been less anxious to save!"

Katuti's lips curled with contempt as she spoke the last words. Aniobserved this and said:

"You think I am timid! Well, I confess I would far rather that muchwhich I have done at your instigation could be undone. I would willinglyrenounce this new plot, though we so carefully planned it when we builtand decorated this palace. I will sacrifice the wine; there are jars ofwine there that were old in my father's time--but it must be so! You areright! Many things have occurred which the king will not forgive! Youare right, you are right--do what seems good to you. I will retire afterthe feast to the Ethiopian camp. "

"They will hail you as king as soon as the usurpers have fallen in theflames, " cried Katuti. "If only a few set the example, the others willtake up the cry, and even though you have offended Ameni he will attachhimself to you rather than to Rameses. Here he comes, and I already seethe standards in the distance. "

"They are coming!" said the Regent. "One thing more! Pray see yourselfthat the princess Bent-Anat goes to the rooms intended for her; she mustnot be injured. "

"Still Bent-Anat?" said Katuti with a smile full of meaning but withoutbitterness. "Be easy, her rooms are on the ground floor, and she shallbe warned in time. "

Ani turned to leave her; he glanced once more at the great hall, and saidwith a sigh. "My heart is heavy--I wish this day and this night wereover!"

"You are like this grand hall, " said Katuti smiling, "which is now empty, almost dismal; but this evening, when it is crowded with guests, it willlook very different. You were born to be a king, and yet are not a king;you will not be quite yourself till the crown and sceptre are your own. "

Ani smiled too, thanked her, and left her; but Katuti said to herself:

"Bent-Anat may burn with the rest: I have no intention of sharing mypower with her!"

Crowds of men and women from all parts had thronged to Pelusium, towelcome the conqueror and his victorious army on the frontier. Everygreat temple-college had sent a deputation to meet Rameses, that from theNecropolis consisting of five members, with Ameni and old Gagabu at theirhead. The white-robed ministers of the Gods marched in solemn processiontowards the bridge which lay across the eastern-Pelusiac-arm of the Nile, and led to Egypt proper--the land fertilized by the waters of the sacredstream. 

The deputation from the temple of Memphis led the procession; this templehad been founded by Mena, the first king who wore the united crowns ofUpper and Lower Egypt, and Chamus, the king's son, was the high-priest. The deputation from the not less important temple of Heliopolis camenext, and was followed by the representatives of the Necropolis ofThebes. 

A few only of the members of these deputations wore the modest white robeof the simple priest; most of them were invested with the panther-skinwhich was worn by the prophets. Each bore a staff decorated with roses, lilies, and green branches, and many carried censers in the form of agolden arm with incense in the hollow of the hand, to be burnt before theking. Among the deputies from the priesthood at Thebes were severalwomen of high rank, who served in the worship of this God, and among themwas Katuti, who by the particular desire of the Regent had lately beenadmitted to this noble sisterhood. 

Ameni walked thoughtfully by the side of the prophet Gagabu. 

"How differently everything has happened from what we hoped andintended!" said Gagabu in a low voice. "We are like ambassadors withsealed credentials--who can tell their contents?"

"I welcome Rameses heartily and joyfully, " said Ameni. "After that whichhappened to him at Kadesh he will come home a very different man to whathe was when he set out. He knows now what he owes to Amon. His favoriteson was already at the head of the ministers of the temple at Memphis, and he has vowed to build magnificent temples and to bring splendidofferings to the Immortals. And Rameses keeps his word better than thatsmiling simpleton in the chariot yonder. "

"Still I am sorry for Ani, " said Gagabu. 

"The Pharaoh will not punish him--certainly not, " replied the high-priest. "And he will have nothing to fear from Ani; he is a feeble reed, the powerless sport of every wind. "

"And yet you hoped for great things from him!"

"Not from him, but through him--with us for his guides, " replied Ameni ina low voice but with emphasis. "It is his own fault that I haveabandoned his cause. Our first wish--to spare the poet Pentaur--he wouldnot respect, and he did not hesitate to break his oath, to betray us, andto sacrifice one of the noblest of God's creatures, as the poet was, togratify a petty grudge. It is harder to fight against cunning weaknessthan against honest enmity. Shall we reward the man who has deprived theworld of Pentaur by giving him a crown? It is hard to quit the troddenway, and seek a better--to give up a half-executed plan and take a morepromising one; it is hard, I say, for the individual man, and makes himseem fickle in the eyes of others; but we cannot see to the right handand the left, and if we pursue a great end we cannot remain within thenarrow limits which are set by law and custom to the actions of privateindividuals. We draw back just as we seem to have reached the goal, welet him fall whom we had raised, and lift him, whom we had stricken tothe earth, to the pinnacle of glory, in short we profess--and forthousands of years have professed--the doctrine that every path is aright one that leads to the great end of securing to the priesthood thesupreme power in the land. Rameses, saved by a miracle, vowing templesto the Gods, will for the future exhaust his restless spirit not inbattle as a warrior, but in building as an architect. He will make useof us, and we can always lead the man who needs us. So I now hail theson of Seti with sincere joy. "

Ameni was still speaking when the flags were hoisted on the standards bythe triumphal arches, clouds of dust rolled up on the farther shore ofthe Nile, and the blare of trumpets was heard. 

First came the horses which had carried Rameses through the fight, withthe king himself, who drove them. His eyes sparkled with joyful triumphas the people on the farther side of the bridge received him with shoutsof joy, and the vast multitude hailed him with wild enthusiasm and tearsof emotion, strewing in his path the spoils of their gardens-flowers, garlands, and palm-branches. 

Ani marched at the head of the procession that went forth to meet him;he humbly threw himself in the dust before the horses, kissed the ground, and then presented to the king the sceptre that had been entrusted tohim, lying on a silk cushion. The king received it graciously, and whenAni took his robe to kiss it, the king bent down towards him, andtouching the Regent's forehead with his lips, desired him to take theplace by his side in the chariot, and fill the office of charioteer. 

The king's eyes were moist with grateful emotion. He had not beendeceived, and he could re-enter the country for whose greatness andwelfare alone he lived, as a father, loving and beloved, and not as amaster to judge and punish. He was deeply moved as he accepted thegreetings of the priests, and with them offered up a public prayer. Then he was conducted to the splendid structure which had been preparedfor him gaily mounted the outside steps, and from the top-most stairbowed to his innumerable crowd of subjects; and while he awaited theprocession from the harbor which escorted Bent-Anat in her litter, heinspected the thousand decorated bulls and antelopes which were to beslaughtered as a thank-offering to the Gods, the tame lions and leopards, the rare trees in whose branches perched gaily-colored birds, thegiraffes, and chariots to which ostriches were harnessed, which allmarched past him in a long array. 

 [The splendor of the festivities I make Ani prepare seems pitiful compared with those Ptolemy Philadelphus, according to the report of an eye witness, Callexenus, displayed to the Alexandrians on a festal occasion. ]

Rameses embraced his daughter before all the people; he felt as if hemust admit his subjects to the fullest sympathy in the happiness and deepthankfulness which filled his soul. His favorite child had never seemedto him so beautiful as this day, and he realized with deep emotion herstrong resemblance to his lost wife. --[Her name was Isis Nefert. ]

Nefert had accompanied her royal friend as fanbearer, and she kneltbefore the king while he gave himself up to the delight of meeting hisdaughter. Then he observed her, and kindly desired her to rise. "Howmuch, " he said, "I am feeling to-day for the first time! I have alreadylearned that what I formerly thought of as the highest happiness iscapable of a yet higher pitch, and I now perceive that the most beautifulis capable of growing to greater beauty! A sun has grown from Mena'sstar. "

Rameses, as he spoke, remembered his charioteer; for a moment his browwas clouded, and he cast down his eyes, and bent his head in thought. 

Bent-Anat well knew this gesture of her father's; it was the omen of somekindly, often sportive suggestion, such as he loved to surprise hisfriends with. 

He reflected longer than usual; at last he looked up, and his full eyesrested lovingly on his daughter as he asked her:

"What did your friend say when she heard that her husband had taken apretty stranger into his tent, and harbored her there for months? Tellme the whole truth of it, Bent-Anat. "

"I am indebted to this deed of Mena's, which must certainly be quiteexcusable if you can smile when you speak of it, " said the princess, "for it was the cause of his wife's coming to me. Her mother blamed herhusband with bitter severity, but she would not cease to believe in him, and left her house because it was impossible for her to endure to hearhim blamed. "

"Is this the fact?" asked Rameses. 

Nefert bowed her pretty head, and two tears ran down her blushing cheeks. 

"How good a man must be, " cried the king, "on whom the Gods bestow suchhappiness! My lord Chamberlain, inform Mena that I require his servicesat dinner to-day--as before the battle at Kadesh. He flung away thereins in the fight when he saw his enemy, and we shall see if he can keepfrom flinging down the beaker when, with his own eyes, he sees hisbeloved wife sitting at the table. --You ladies will join me at thebanquet. "

Nefert sank on her knees before the king; but he turned from her to speakto the nobles and officers who had come to meet him, and then proceededto the temple to assist at the slaughter of the victims, and to solemnlyrenew his vow in the presence of the priests and the people, to erect amagnificent temple in Thebes as a thank-offering for his preservationfrom death. He was received with rapturous enthusiasm; his road led tothe harbor, past the tents in which lay the wounded, who had been broughthome to Egypt by ship, and he greeted them graciously from his chariot. 

Ani again acted as his charioteer; they drove slowly through the longranks of invalids and convalescents, but suddenly Ani gave the reins aninvoluntary pull, the horses reared, and it was with difficulty that hesoothed them to a steady pace again. 

Rameses looked round in anxious surprise, for at the moment when thehorses had started, he too had felt an agitating thrill--he thought hehad caught sight of his preserver at Kadesh. 

Had the sight of a God struck terror into the horses? Was he the victimof a delusion? or was his preserver a man of flesh and blood, who hadcome home from the battle-field among the wounded!

The man who stood by his side, and held the reins, could have informedhim, for Ani had recognized Pentaur, and in his horror had given thereins a perilous jerk. 

CHAPTER XLI. 

The king did not return to the great pavilion till after sun-down; thebanqueting hall, illuminated with a thousand lamps, was now filled withthe gay crowd of guests who awaited the arrival of the king. All bowedbefore him, as he entered, more or less low, each according to his rank;he immediately seated himself on his throne, surrounded by his childrenin a wide semicircle, and his officers and retainers all passed beforehim; for each he had a kindly word or glance, winning respect from all, and filling every one with joy and hope. 

"The only really divine attribute of my royal condition, " said he tohimself, "is that it is so easy to a king to make men happy. Mypredecessors chose the poisonous Uraeus as the emblem of their authority, for we can cause death as quickly and certainly as the venomous snake;but the power of giving happiness dwells on our own lips, and in our owneyes, and we need some instrument when we decree death. "

"Take the Uraeus crown from my head, " he continued aloud, as he seatedhimself at the feast. "Today I will wear a wreath of flowers. "

During the ceremony of bowing to the king, two men had quitted the hall--the Regent Ani, and the high-priest Ameni. 

Ani ordered a small party of the watch to go and seek out the priestPentaur in the tents of the wounded by the harbor, to bring the poetquietly to his tent, and to guard him there till his return. He stillhad in his possession the maddening potion, which he was to have given tothe captain of the transport-boat, and it was open to him still toreceive Pentaur either as a guest or as a prisoner. Pentaur might injurehim, whether Katuti's project failed or succeeded. 

Ameni left the pavilion to go to see old Gagabu, who had stood so long inthe heat of the sun during the ceremony of receiving the conqueror, thathe had been at last carried fainting to the tent which he shared with thehigh-priest, and which was not far from that of the Regent. He found theold man much revived, and was preparing to mount his chariot to go to thebanquet, when the Regent's myrmidons led Pentaur past in front of him. Ameni looked doubtfully at the tall and noble figure of the prisoner, butPentaur recognized him, called him by his name, and in a moment theystood together, hand clasped in hand. The guards showed some uneasiness, but Ameni explained who he was. 

The high-priest was sincerely rejoiced at the preservation andrestoration of his favorite disciple, whom for many months he had mournedas dead; he looked at his manly figure with fatherly tenderness, anddesired the guards, who bowed to his superior dignity, to conduct hisfriend, on his responsibility; to his tent instead of to Ani's. 

There Pentaur found his old friend Gagabu, who wept with delight at hissafety. All that his master had accused him of seemed to be forgotten. Ameni had him clothed in a fresh white robe, he was never tired oflooking at him, and over and over again clapped his hand upon hisshoulder, as if he were his own son that had been lost and found again. 

Pentaur was at once required to relate all that had happened to him, andthe poet told the story of his captivity and liberation at Mount Sinai, his meeting with Bent-Anat, and how he had fought in the battle ofKadesh, had been wounded by an arrow, and found and rescued by thefaithful Kaschta. He concealed only his passion for Bent-Anat, and thefact that he had preserved the king's life. 

"About an hour ago, " he added, "I was sitting alone in my tent, watchingthe lights in the palace yonder, when the watch who are outside broughtme an order from the Regent to accompany them to his tent. What can hewant with me? I always thought he owed me a grudge. "

Gagabu and Ameni glanced meaningly at each other, and the high-priestthen hastened away, as already he had remained too long away from thebanquet. Before he got into his chariot he commanded the guard to returnto their posts, and took it upon himself to inform the Regent that hisguest would remain in his tent till the festival was over; the soldiersunhesitatingly obeyed him. 

Ameni arrived at the palace before them, and entered the banqueting-halljust as Ani was assigning a place to each of his guests. The high-priestwent straight up to him, and said, as he bowed before him:

"Pardon my long delay, but I was detained by a great surprise. The poetPentaur is living--as you know. I have invited him to remain in my tentas my guest, and to tend the prophet Gagabu. "

The Regent turned pale, he remained speechless and looked at Ameni with acold ghastly smile; but he soon recovered himself. 

"You see, " he said, "how you have injured me by your unworthy suspicions;I meant to have restored your favorite to you myself to-morrow. "

"Forgive me, then, for having anticipated your plan, " said Ameni, takinghis seat near the king. Hundreds of slaves hurried to and fro loadedwith costly dishes. Large vessels of richly wrought gold and silver werebrought into the hall on wheels, and set on the side-boards. Childrenwere perched in the shells and lotus-flowers that hung from the paintedrafters; and from between the pillars, that were hung with cloudytransparent tissues, they threw roses and violets down on the company. The sounds of harps and songs issued from concealed rooms, and from analtar, six ells high, in the middle of the hall, clouds of incense werewafted into space. 

The king-one of whose titles was "Son of the Sun, "--was as radiant as thesun himself. His children were once more around him, Mena was hiscupbearer as in former times, and all that was best and noblest in theland was gathered round him to rejoice with him in his triumph and hisreturn. Opposite to him sat the ladies, and exactly in front of him, adelight to his eyes, Bent-Anat and Nefert. His injunction to Mena tohold the wine cup steadily seemed by no means superfluous, for his looksconstantly wandered from the king's goblet to his fair wife, from whoselips he as yet had heard no word of welcome, whose hand he had not yetbeen so happy as to touch. 

All the guests were in the most joyful excitement. Rameses related thetale of his fight at Kadesh, and the high-priest of Heliopolis observedIn later times the poets will sing of thy deeds. "

"Their songs will not be of my achievements, " exclaimed the king, "but ofthe grace of the Divinity, who so miraculously rescued your sovereign, and gave the victory to the Egyptians over an innumerable enemy. "

"Did you see the God with your own eyes? and in what form did he appearto you?" asked Bent-Anat. "It is most extraordinary, " said the king, "but he exactly resembled the dead father of the traitor Paaker. Mypreserver was of tall stature, and had a beautiful countenance; his voicewas deep and thrilling, and he swung his battle-axe as if it were a mereplaything. "

Ameni had listened eagerly to the king's words, now he bowed low beforehim and said humbly: "If I were younger I myself would endeavor, as wasthe custom with our fathers, to celebrate this glorious deed of a God andof his sublime son in a song worthy of this festival; but melting tonesare no longer mine, they vanish with years, and the car of the listenerlends itself only to the young. Nothing is wanting to thy feast, mostlordly Ani, but a poet, who might sing the glorious deeds of our monarchto the sound of his lute, and yet--we have at hand the gifted Pentaur, the noblest disciple of the House of Seti. "

Bent-Anat turned perfectly white, and the priests who were presentexpressed the utmost joy and astonishment, for they had long thought theyoung poet, who was highly esteemed throughout Egypt, to be dead. 

The king had often heard of the fame of Pentaur from his sons andespecially from Rameri, and he willingly consented that Ameni shouldsend for the poet, who had himself borne arms at Kadesh, in order thathe should sing a song of triumph. The Regent gazed blankly and uneasilyinto his wine cup, and the high-priest rose to fetch Pentaur himself intothe presence of the king. 

During the high-priest's absence, more and more dishes were served to thecompany; behind each guest stood a silver bowl with rose water, in whichfrom time to time he could dip his fingers to cool and clean them; theslaves in waiting were constantly at hand with embroidered napkins towipe them, and others frequently changed the faded wreaths, round theheads and shoulders of the feasters, for fresh ones. 

"How pale you are, my child!" said Rameses turning to Bent-Anat. "If you are tired, your uncle will no doubt allow you to leave the hall;though I think you should stay to hear the performance of this much-lauded poet. After having been so highly praised he will find itdifficult to satisfy his hearers. But indeed I am uneasy about you, mychild--would you rather go?" The Regent had risen and said earnestly, "Your presence has done me honor, but if you are fatigued I beg you toallow me to conduct you and your ladies to the apartments intended foryou. "

"I will stay, " said Bent-Anat in a low but decided tone, and she kept hereyes on the floor, while her heart beat violently, for the murmur ofvoices told her that Pentaur was entering the hall. He wore the longwhite robe of a priest of the temple of Seti, and on his forehead theostrich-feather which marked him as one of the initiated. He did notraise his eyes till he stood close before the king; then he prostratedhimself before him, and awaited a sign from the Pharaoh before he roseagain. 

But Rameses hesitated a long time, for the youthful figure before him, and the glance that met his own, moved him strangely. Was not this thedivinity of the fight? Was not this his preserver? Was he again deludedby a resemblance, or was he in a dream?

The guests gazed in silence at the spellbound king, and at the poet; atlast Rameses bowed his head, Pentaur rose to his feet, and the bright color flew to his face as closeto him he perceived Bent-Anat. 

"You fought at Kadesh?" asked the king. "As thou sayest, " repliedPentaur. 

"You are well spoken of as a poet, " said Rameses, "and we desire to hearthe wonderful tale of my preservation celebrated in song. If you willattempt it, let a lute be brought and sing. "

The poet bowed. "My gifts are modest, " he said, "but I will endeavor tosing of the glorious deed, in the presence of the hero who achieved it, with the aid of the Gods. "

Rameses gave a signal, and Ameni caused a large golden harp to be broughtin for his disciple. Pentaur lightly touched the strings, leaned hishead against the top of the tall bow of the harp, for some time lest inmeditation; then he drew himself up boldly, and struck the chords, bringing out a strong and warlike music in broad heroic rhythm. 

Then he began the narrative: how Rameses had pitched his camp beforeKadesh, how he ordered his troops, and how he had taken the field againstthe Cheta, and their Asiatic allies. Louder and stronger rose his toneswhen he reached the turning-point of the battle, and began to celebratethe rescue of the king; and the Pharaoh listened with eager attention asPentaur sang:--[A literal translation of the ancient Egyptian poem called"The Epos of Pentaur"]

 "Then the king stood forth, and, radiant with courage, He looked like the Sun-god armed and eager for battle. The noble steeds that bore him into the struggle 'Victory to Thebes' was the name of one, and the other Was called 'contented Nura'--were foaled in the stables Of him we call 'the elect, ' 'the beloved of Amon, ' 'Lord of truth, ' the chosen vicar of Ra. 

 Up sprang the king and threw himself on the foe, The swaying ranks of the contemptible Cheta. He stood alone-alone, and no man with him. As thus the king stood forth all eyes were upon him, And soon he was enmeshed by men and horses, And by the enemy's chariots: two thousand five hundred. The foe behind hemmed him in and enclosed him. Dense the array of the contemptible Cheta, Dense the swarm of warriors out of Arad, Dense the Mysian host, the Pisidian legions. Every chariot carried three bold warriors, All his foes, and all allied like brothers. 

 "Not a prince is with me, not a captain, Not an archer, none to guide my horses! Fled the riders! fled my troops and horse By my side not one is now left standing. " Thus the king, and raised his voice in prayer. "Great father Amon, I have known Thee well. And can the father thus forget his son? Have I in any deed forgotten Thee? Have I done aught without Thy high behest Or moved or staid against Thy sovereign will? Great am I--mighty are Egyptian kings But in the sight of Thy commanding might, Small as the chieftain of a wandering tribe. Immortal Lord, crush Thou this unclean people; Break Thou their necks, annihilate the heathen. 

 And I--have I not brought Thee many victims, And filled Thy temple with the captive folk? And for thy presence built a dwelling place That shall endure for countless years to come? Thy garners overflow with gifts from me. I offered Thee the world to swell Thy glory, And thirty thousand mighty steers have shed Their smoking blood on fragrant cedar piles. Tall gateways, flag-decked masts, I raised to Thee, And obelisks from Abu I have brought, And built Thee temples of eternal stone. For Thee my ships have brought across the sea The tribute of the nations. This I did-- When were such things done in the former time?

 For dark the fate of him who would rebel Against Thee: though Thy sway is just and mild. My father, Amon--as an earthly son His earthly father--so I call on Thee. Look down from heaven on me, beset by foes, By heathen foes--the folk that know Thee not. The nations have combined against Thy son; I stand alone--alone, and no man with me. My foot and horse are fled, I called aloud And no one heard--in vain I called to them. And yet I say: the sheltering care of Amon Is better succor than a million men, Or than ten thousand knights, or than a thousand Brothers and sons though gathered into one. And yet I say: the bulwarks raised by men However strong, compared to Thy great works Are but vain shadows, and no human aid Avails against the foe--but Thy strong hand. The counsel of Thy lips shall guide my way; I have obeyed whenever Thou hast ruled; I call on Thee--and, with my fame, Thy glory Shall fill the world, from farthest east to west. "

 Yea, his cry rang forth even far as Hermonthis, And Amon himself appeared at his call; and gave him His hand and shouted in triumph, saying to the Pharaoh: "Help is at hand, O Rameses. I will uphold thee-- I thy father am he who now is thy succor, Bearing thee in my hands. For stronger and readier I than a hundred thousand mortal retainers; I am the Lord of victory loving valor? I rejoice in the brave and give them good counsel, And he whom I counsel certainly shall not miscarry. "

 Then like Menth, with his right he scattered the arrows, And with his left he swung his deadly weapon, Felling the foe--as his foes are felled by Baal. The chariots were broken and the drivers scattered, Then was the foe overthrown before his horses. None found a hand to fight: they could not shoot Nor dared they hurl the spear but fled at his coming Headlong into the river. "

 [I have availed myself of the help of Prof. Lushington's translation in "Records of the past, " edited by Dr. S. Birch. Translator. ]

A silence as of the grave reigned in the vast hall, Rameses fixed hiseyes on the poet, as though he would engrave his features on his verysoul, and compare them with those of another which had dwelt thereunforgotten since the day of Kadesh. Beyond a doubt his preserver stoodbefore him. 

Seized by a sudden impulse, he interrupted the poet in the midst of hisstirring song, and cried out to the assembled guests:

"Pay honor to this man! for the Divinity chose to appear under his formto save your king when he 'alone, and no man with him, ' struggled with athousand. "

"Hail to Pentaur!" rang through the hall from the vast assembly, andNefert rose and gave the poet the bunch of flowers she had been wearingon her bosom. 

The king nodded approval, and looked enquiringly at his daughter; Bent-Anat's eyes met his with a glance of intelligence, and with all thesimplicity of an impulsive child, she took from her head the wreath thathad decorated her beautiful hair, went up to Pentaur, and crowned himwith it, as it was customary for a bride to crown her lover before thewedding. 

Rameses observed his daughter's action with some surprise, and the guestsresponded to it with loud cheering. 

The king looked gravely at Bent-Anat and the young priest; the eyes ofall the company were eagerly fixed on the princess and the poet. Theking seemed to have forgotten the presence of strangers, and to be whollyabsorbed in thought, but by degrees a change came over his face, itcleared, as a landscape is cleared from the morning mists under theinfluence of the spring sunshine. When he looked up again his glance wasbright and satisfied, and Bent-Anat knew what it promised when itlingered lovingly first on her, and then on her friend, whose head wasstill graced by the wreath that had crowned hers. 

At last Rameses turned from the lovers, and said to the guests:

"It is past midnight, and I will now leave you. To-morrow evening I bidyou all--and you especially, Pentaur--to be my guests in this banquetinghall. Once more fill your cups, and let us empty them--to a long time ofpeace after the victory which, by the help of the Gods, we have won. Andat the same time let us express our thanks to my friend Ani, who hasentertained us so magnificently, and who has so faithfully and zealouslyadministered the affairs of the kingdom during my absence. "

The company pledged the king, who warmly shook hands with the Regent, andthen, escorted by his wandbearers and lords in waiting, quitted the hall, after he had signed to Mena, Ameni, and the ladies to follow him. 

Nefert greeted her husband, but she immediately parted from the royalparty, as she had yielded to the urgent entreaty of Katuti that sheshould for this night go to her mother, to whom she had so much to tell, instead of remaining with the princess. Her mother's chariot soon tookher to her tent. 

Rameses dismissed his attendants in the ante-room of his apartments; whenthey were alone he turned to Bent-Anat and said affectionately. 

"What was in your mind when you laid your wreath on the poet's brow?"

"What is in every maiden's mind when she does the like, " replied Bent-Anat with trustful frankness. 

"And your father?" asked the king. 

"My father knows that I will obey him even if he demands of me thehardest thing--the sacrifice of all my--happiness; but I believe that he--that you love me fondly, and I do not forget the hour in which you saidto me that now my mother was dead you would be father and mother both tome, and you would try to understand me as she certainly would haveunderstood me. But what need between us of so many words. I lovePentaur--with a love that is not of yesterday--with the first perfectlove of my heart and he has proved himself worthy of that high honor. But were he ever so humble, the hand of your daughter has the power toraise him above every prince in the land. "

"It has such power, and you shall exercise it, " cried the king. "Youhave been true and faithful to yourself, while your father and protectorleft you to yourself. In you I love the image of your mother, and Ilearned from her that a true woman's heart can find the right path betterthan a man's wisdom. Now go to rest, and to-morrow morning put on afresh wreath, for you will have need of it, my noble daughter. "

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

He who looks for faith must give faithI have never deviated from the exact truth even in jestLearn early to pass lightly over little thingsTrustfulness is so dear, so essential to me