The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 160

"Open, or we will break the gate!"

"A wonderful thing," said people from afar; "the birds are going to sleep. But it is only midday."

"Something evil has happened in the air!"

"O G.o.ds, night is coming, and I haven't pulled salad for dinner," said some girl.

But these remarks were drowned by the uproar of the drunken band, and the noise of beams striking the bronze gate of the temple. If the crowd had been less occupied with the violent deeds of the attackers, they would have seen that something unusual was happening in nature.

The sun was shining, there was not one cloud in the sky, and still the brightness of the day had begun to decrease and there was a breath of coolness.

"Give us another beam!" cried the attackers of the temple. "The gate is giving way!"

"Powerfully! Once more!"

The crowd looking on roared like a tempest. Here and there men began to separate from the throng and join the attackers. At last a whole ma.s.s of people pushed slowly toward the temple.

Though but just past midday, gloom increased. In the gardens of the temple the c.o.c.ks began to crow. But the rage of the throng was so great now that few noticed the change.

"Look ye!" cried some beggar. "Behold the day of judgment is coming--O G.o.ds--"

He wished to speak on, but struck on the head by a club he fell prostrate.

On the walls of the temple naked but armed figures began to climb up.

Officers called the warriors to arms, certain that soon they would have to support the attack of the mult.i.tude.

"What does this mean?" whispered warriors, looking at the sky. "There is not a cloud, still the world looks as it does in the time of a tempest."

"Strike! break!" shouted men near the temple.

The sound of beams was more and more frequent.

At that moment on the terrace above the gate appeared Herhor. He was surrounded by a retinue of priests and civil dignitaries. The most worthy high priest was in a golden robe, and wore the cap of Amenhotep with its regal serpent.

Herhor looked at the enormous ma.s.ses of people who surrounded the temple, and bending toward the band of stormers, he said to them,--

"Whoever ye are, right believers or unbelievers, leave this temple in peace, in the name of the G.o.ds I summon you."

The uproar of the people ceased suddenly, and only the pounding of the beams against the bronze gate was audible. But soon even that ceased.

"Open the gate!" cried the giant from below. "We wish to see if ye are forging treason against the pharaoh."

"My son," replied Herhor, "fall on thy face and implore the G.o.ds to forgive thee thy sacrilege."

"Ask thou the G.o.ds to shield thee!" cried the leader of the band, and taking a stone he threw it toward the high priest.

At the same time, from a window of the pylon shot out a small stream which seemed to be water, and which struck the giant's face. The bandit tottered, threw up his hands, and fell.

Those nearest him gave out a cry of fear, whereupon the farther ranks, not seeing what had happened, answered with laughter and curses.

"Break down the gate!" was heard from the end of the crowd, and a volley of stones flew in the direction of Herhor and his retinue.

Herhor raised both hands, and when the crowd had grown silent again the high priest shouted,--

"O G.o.ds! into your protection I give these sacred retreats, against which blasphemers and traitors are advancing!"

A moment later, somewhere above the temple, an unearthly voice was heard,--

"I TURN MY FACE FROM THE ACCURSED PEOPLE AND MAY DARKNESS FALL ON THE EARTH."

Then a dreadful thing happened: as the voice rose the sun decreased, and with the last word there was darkness as at night. Stars began to shine in the heavens; instead of the sun was a black disk surrounded with a thin hoop of flame.

An immense cry was rent from a hundred thousand b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Those who were storming the gate threw down their beams; common people fell to the earth.

"Oh, the day of punishment and death has come!" cried a shrill voice at the end of the street.

"O G.o.ds of mercy! O holy men, ward off this terror!" cried the crowd.

"WOE TO ARMIES WHICH CARRY OUT THE ORDERS OF G.o.dLESS COMMANDERS!"

cried a great voice from the temple.

In answer all the people fell on their faces, and confusion rose in the two regiments standing before the temple. The ranks broke, warriors threw down their weapons and ran toward the river insensate.

Some, rushing like blind men, knocked against the walls of houses in the darkness; others fell to the ground and were trampled to death by their comrades. In the course of a few minutes, instead of close columns of warriors, on the square, spears and axes lay scattered about, and at the entrance of the streets were piles of dead and wounded.

"O G.o.ds! O G.o.ds!" groaned and cried the people, "take pity on the innocent."

"Osiris!" cried Herhor from the terrace, "have compa.s.sion and show thy face to the unfortunate people."

"AT LAST I HEAR THE PRAYERS OF MY PRIESTS, FOR I AM COMPa.s.sIONATE,"

answered the supernatural voice from the temple.

At that moment the darkness began to disappear, and the sun to regain its brightness.

A new shout, new weeping, and new prayers were heard in the throng.

The people, drunk with delight, greeted the sun which had risen from the dead. Men unknown to one another embraced, some persons died, and all crawled on their knees to kiss the sacred walls of the temple.

Above the gate stood the most worthy Herhor, his eyes fixed on the sky, and two priests supporting his holy hands with which he had dissipated darkness, and saved his people from destruction.

Scenes of the same kind with certain changes took place throughout all Lower Egypt. In each city on the 20th of Paofi people had collected from early morning. In each city about midday some band was storming a sacred gate. About one the high priest of the temple, with a retinue, cursed the faithless attackers and produced darkness. But when the throng fled in panic, or fell on the ground, the high priest prayed to Osiris to show his face, and then the light of day returned to the earth again.

In this way, thanks to the eclipse of the sun, the party of the priests, full of wisdom, had shaken the importance of Rameses XIII. in Lower Egypt.

In the course of a few minutes the government of the pharaoh had come, even without knowing it, to the brink of a precipice. Only great wisdom could save it, and an accurate knowledge of the situation. But that was lacking in the pharaoh's palace, where the all-powerful reign of chance had set in at that critical moment.

On the 20th of Paofi his holiness rose exactly at sunrise, and, to be nearer the scene of action, he transferred himself from the main palace to a villa which was hardly an hour's distance from Memphis. On one side of this villa were the barracks of the Asiatic troops, on the other the villa of Tutmosis and his wife, the beautiful Hebron. With their lord came the dignitaries faithful to Rameses, and the first regiment of the guard in which the pharaoh felt unbounded reliance.

Rameses was in perfect humor. He bathed, ate with appet.i.te, and began to hear the reports of couriers who flew in from Memphis every fifteen minutes.

Their reports were monotonous to weariness: The high priests and some of the nomarchs, under the leadership of Herhor and Mefres, had shut themselves up in the temple of Ptah. The army was full of hope, and the people excited. All were blessing the pharaoh, and waiting the order to move on the temple.