The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 105

"What, then, was the Libyan army?" asked the astonished prince.

"From six to seven thousand men."

"That cannot be. Is it possible that almost a whole army could perish in such an encounter?"

"And still it is so; that was a terrible battle," replied Tutmosis.

"Thou didst surround them on all sides, the soldiers did the rest, well--yes--and the worthy Mentezufis. Even inscriptions on the tombs of the most famous pharaohs do not mention such a crushing of the enemies of Egypt."

"Go to sleep, Tutmosis; I am wearied," interrupted the prince, feeling that pride was beginning to rise to his head.

"Then have I won such a victory? Impossible!" thought he.

He threw himself on to the skins, but though mortally weary he could not sleep.

Only fourteen hours had pa.s.sed since the moment when he had given the signal to begin the battle. Only fourteen hours? Was it possible!

Had he won such a battle? But he had not even seen a battle, nothing but a yellow dense cloud, whence unearthly shouts were poured out in torrents. Even now he sees that cloud, he hears the uproar, he feels the heat, but there is no battle.

Next he sees a boundless desert, in which he is struggling through the sand with painful effort. He and his men have the best horses in the army, and still they creep forward like turtles. And what heat!

Impossible for man to support the like.

And now Typhon springs up, hides the light, burns, bites, suffocates.

Pale sparks are shooting forth from Pentuer's body. Above their heads thunder rolls--such thunder as he had never heard till that day. Later on, silent night in the desert. The fleeing griffin, the dark outline of the sphinx on the limestone hill.

"I have seen so much. I have pa.s.sed through so much," thought Rameses.

"I have been present at the building of our temples, and even at the birth of the great sphinx, which is beyond having an age now, and--all this happened in the course of fourteen hours."

Now the last thought flashed before the prince: "A man who has pa.s.sed through so much cannot live long."

A chill went through him from head to foot, and he fell asleep.

He woke next morning a couple of hours after sunrise. His eyes smarted, all his bones ached; he coughed a little, but his mind was clear and his heart full of courage.

Tutmosis was at the door of the tent.

"What is it?" asked the prince.

"Spies from the Libyan boundary bring strange news," said the favorite. "A great throng of people are approaching our ravine, not troops, however, but unarmed men, with children and women; at the head of them is Musawasa, and the foremost of the Libyans."

"What does this mean?"

"Evidently they wish to beg peace of thee."

"After one battle?" asked the prince, with wonder.

"But what a battle! Besides, fear increases our army in their eyes.

They fear invasion and death."

"Let us see if this is a military stratagem," answered the prince, after some thought. "How are our men?"

"They are in good health, they have eaten and drunk, they have rested and are gladsome. But--"

"But what?"

"Patrokles died in the night," whispered Tutmosis.

"How?" cried the prince, springing up.

"Some say that he drank too much, some--that it was the punishment of the G.o.ds. His face was blue and his mouth full of foam."

"Like that captive in Atribis, thou rememberest him? His name was Bakura; he broke into the feasting hall with complaints against the nomarch. He died that same night--from drunkenness, of course. What dost thou think?"

Tutmosis dropped his head.

"We must be very careful, my lord," whispered he.

"We shall try," answered the prince, calmly. "We will not even wonder at the death of Patrokles. For what is there surprising in this, that some drunken fellow dies who insulted the G.o.ds, nay! insulted the priests even."

Tutmosis felt a threat in these jeering words.

The prince had loved Patrokles greatly. The Greek leader had been as faithful as a dog to him. Rameses might forget many wrongs done himself, but the death of that man he would not forgive.

Before midday a fresh regiment, the Theban, arrived from Egypt at the prince's camp, and besides that some thousands of men and several hundreds of a.s.ses bringing large supplies of provisions and also tents. At the same time, from the direction of Libya, returned spies with information that the band of unarmed people coming toward the ravine was increasing.

At command of the heir numerous small detachments of cavalry reconnoitred the neighborhood in every direction to learn if a hostile army were not hidden somewhere. Even the priests, who had brought with them a small chapel of Amon, went to the summit of the highest hill and held a religious service. Then returning to the camp, they a.s.sured Rameses that a crowd of some thousands of unarmed Libyans were approaching, but that there was no army at any point, at least none within a fifteen mile radius.

The prince laughed at the report.

"I have good sight," said he, "but I could not see an army at that distance."

The priests, after they had counselled together, informed the prince that if he would bind himself not to tell the uninitiated what he saw he would learn that it was possible to see at great distances.

Rameses took an oath. The priests placed the altar of Amon on a height, and began prayers. When the prince had washed, removed his sandals, offered to the G.o.d a gold chain and incense, they conducted him to a small box which was perfectly dark and told him to look at one wall of it.

After a while sacred hymns were intoned during which a bright circle appeared on the box. Soon the bright color grew darker; the prince saw a sandy plain, in the midst of it cliffs, and near them an Asiatic outpost.

The priests sang with more animation and the picture changed. Another patch of the desert was visible, and on it a group of people who looked no larger than ants. Still the movements and dress, and even the faces of the persons were so definite that the prince could describe them.

The astonishment of the heir knew no bounds. He rubbed his eyes, touched the moving picture. Suddenly he turned away his face; the picture vanished and darkness remained.

When he went out of the chapel the elder priest asked him,--

"Well, Erpatr, dost thou believe now in the might of the G.o.ds of Egypt?"

"Indeed," answered he, "ye are such great sages that the whole world ought to give you offerings and homage. If ye can see the future in an equal degree nothing can oppose you."

After these words a priest entered the chapel and began to pray; soon a voice was heard from the chapel, saying,--?