against him. But Rachel's face came to him as
comfort--the memory of it when it was tender and yielding--and with a
lover's buoyancy he forgot his sorrows in remembering that she loved
him. He dropped the anchor and, lying down in the bottom of his boat,
dreamed happily into the dawn.

During the day he landed for supplies at a miserable town of
pottery-makers, leaving his boat at the crazy wharves.

When he returned the bari was gone. A negro, the only one near the
river who was awake, told him that a dhow, laden with clay, in making a
landing had struck the bari, staved in its side, upset it and sent it
adrift.

The mischance did not trouble Kenkenes.

After some effort he aroused a crew of oarsmen, procured a boat, and
continued at once to Thebes.

[1] Khu-aten--Tel-el-Amarna.

CHAPTER XXII

THE FAN-BEARER'S QUEST

At sunset on the day after the festivities at the Lady Senci's, Hotep
deserted his palace duties and came to the house of Mentu. He had in
mind to try again to persuade his friend from his folly, for the scribe
was certain that Kenkenes was once more returning to his sacrilege and
the Israelite.

The old housekeeper informed him that the young master was not at home,
though he was expected even now.

Hotep waited in the house of his aunt, neighbor to the murket, and
about the middle of the first watch asked again for Kenkenes.

Nay, the young master had not returned. But would not the noble Hotep
enter and await him?

The scribe, however, returned to the palace, and put off his visit
until the next day.

The following noon a page brought him a message from his aunt, the Lady
Senci. It was short and distressed.

"Kenkenes has not returned, Hotep, and since he is known to have gone
upon the Nile, we fear that disaster has overtaken him. Come and help
the unhappy murket. His household is so dismayed that it is useless.
Come, and come quickly."

The probability of the young artist's death in the Nile immediately
took second place in the scribe's mind. Kenkenes had displayed to
Hotep the effect of Rameses' savage boast to exterminate the Hebrews.
It was that incident which had convinced the scribe that the Arabian
hills would claim the artist on the morrow. He had not stopped to
surmise the extremes to which Kenkenes would go, but his mysterious
disappearance seemed to suggest that the lover had gone to the
Israelitish camp to remain.

He made ready and repaired to the