Stephen

thou a

at they be here. Pah! I canno

u art fortunate enough to die in a civilized land." And the s

at his feet, then he looked up at his companion. Something in his sombre eyes c

l explore for the singing bird. I am not minded

thou w

at thy girdle; give it me.

ntain beyond the crest of yonder hill; go quench

a strange humor to-day, friend," he said at length. "I have been patient with t

y, but he said not a word; with a sudden quick movement, he seized the br

he proper purchasers.' At the same time I, Besa, am commissioned to procure a singing slave for the princess, who pineth in a sickly melancholy. But what have I suffered in the matter thus far? I have been half killed by a fall, now am I parched with thirst, and the man lies to me concerning his water-bottle. I saw him fill it before we started, the

esert wind. "It has been opened but a short time," he remarked at length. "It will be a pious act for me to replace the stone; Anubis will reward me for it. One must not fail in duty to the sacred dead." Then he raised his voice, "Rest qu

on other ears than those sealed to eternal silence within their swathings of spiced linen. The heavy odor of death ascended in stupefyin

ife, that they be down there. They will live till I shall return with to

inch. The sun beat down in fury upon his head, the hot wind sang in his ears with a strange sound of buzzing insects and humming wheels. He stepped down into the stairway, the better to gras

nd a huge sarcophagus, the sound at first

whisper. "We shall perish in this place,

"Better slavery to dea

ngly, "it will disappear." But the moments crept slowly by, and the sun still poured in, revealing the c

"something has happene

save the sighing of the wind outside and the hissing murmur of the sand as it drifted on

t him as he hurried past. He stumbled presently over something which lay at the foot of the stone steps. Starting back with a cry he perceived that it was the body of a man. He had fallen upon his face in the sand and lay quite motion

he quiet figure which still lay on its face, the monstrous staring eyes of the mummies looking on unmoved, and the stealthy wind al

s place?" said Seth, when th

till the other shall seek him, and if that be never, then I care not

tated. "He h

ee that it is now that we must make good our escape? Once the man hath recovered himself we are lost. I can hear the bells of hi

e wilderness, we shou

emy whom the gods have smitten, raise him up and pour water into his mouth and upon his head, then when he shall come to himself say to him, 'Here now is thy beast, I will set thee upon it that thou mayest ride. As f

their tongues," he muttered. "It hath been told me, and it is even true

ed, her voice choking with rage. "Yes, let it be so, I care not, but I had thought that thou wast not as oth

shall be as thou hast said, here is the beast, with such a pretty saddle, little one, all of crimson velvet, and hung with bells o

o be placed upon the back of the mule. "Have I the poison of asps u

f thrushes that sing by the river. But I shall place water where our enemy can drink when he awakens; and I will not close the stone

rched corn and laid it beside the cup. Looking sidewise at the man, who still lay all along on his face just as he had been stricken, he fancied that he saw him stir a little, and the terror came back upo

et towards the great and terrible wildernes