er breath.

"Come, Bast," he cried, making after her. "Kit, kit, kit!"

She sprang away with a little shriek and Kenkenes, throwing out his
arm, caught her and drew her close.

"Menes is malevolent--" he began.

"Aye, malevolent as Mesu!" she panted.

"What!" the soldier cried. "Has the Hebrew sorcerer already become a
bugbear to the children?"

"If he become not a bugbear to all Egypt, we may thank the gods,"
Siptah put in.

Rameses laughed scornfully, but Ta-user and Seti spoke simultaneously:

"Siptah speaks truly."

"Yea, Menes," the heir scoffed; "he hath already become a bugbear to
the infants. Hear them confess it?"

Siptah buried his clenched hand in a cushion on the floor near him.

"O thou paternal Prince," he said, "repeat us a prayer of exorcism as a
father should, and rid us of our fears."

"And pursuant of the custom bewailed an hour agone, we shall return
thanks to the Pharaoh, for the things thou dost achieve, O our
Rameses," Menes added.

"If there are any prayers said," the prince replied, "the Hebrews will
say them. Mine exorcism will be harsher than formulas."

The rest of the company ceased their undertone and listened.

"Wilt thou tell us again what thou hast said, O Prince?" Kenkenes asked.

"Mine exorcism of the Hebrew sorcerer, Mesu, will be harsher than
formulas. I shall not beseech the Israelites and it will avail them
naught to beseech me."

"Thou art ominous, Light of Egypt," Kenkenes commented quietly. "Wilt
thou open thy heart further and give us thy meaning?"

"Hast lived out of the world, O Son of Mentu? The exorcism will begin
ere long. In this I give thee the history of Israel for the next few
years and close it. I shall not fall heir to the Hebrews when I come
to wear the crown of Egypt."

"Are they to be sent forth?" Kenkenes asked in a low tone.

Rameses laughed shortly.

"Thou art not versed in the innuendoes of court-talk, my Kenkenes.
Nay, they die in Egypt and fertilize the soil."

"It will raise a Set-given uproar, Rameses," Menes broke in with meek
conviction; "and as thou hast said--to the king, the credit--to his
advisers, the blame."

"Nay; the process is longer and more natural," the prince replied
carelessly. "It is but the same method of the mines. Who can call
death by hard labor, murder?"

The full brutality of the prince's meaning struck home. Kenkenes
gripped the arm of Ta-meri's chair with such power that the sinews
stood