distress, are not more
poor or wretched than I."

The old Israelite's brilliant eyes glittered in the dark.

"Hold!" she exclaimed. "Thou art not a slave--"

"Nay, am I not?" Masanath rejoined swiftly. "A slave, a chattel,
doubly enthralled! But enough of this, I would have said that if I wed
the prince, I can ask Rachel's freedom at his hands."

"So thou canst," Deborah said eagerly--but before she could continue,
Rachel appeared at the outer opening, the amphora held by one arm, the
ape by the other. Her face was alight with a smile that seemed
dangerously akin to tears.

"Here is water, clean and fresh, but the Nile is bank-full of the
plague. It was Anubis that showed me!" She lowered the amphora into
the rack and took up the linen band the ape had slipped. "Oh, it is
ungrateful to tie thee, Anubis," she went on, "but thou must not betray
us, thou good creature."

"It was Anubis!" Deborah repeated inquiringly.

"Aye. Not once did the hideous sight disturb him. He was athirst and
he made me a well in the sand with his paws. See how Jehovah hath sent
us succor by humble hands." She stroked the hairy grotesque and
tethered him reluctantly.

Deborah muttered under her breath. "I liked the creature not, since he
made me think of the abominable idolatries of Mizraim, but he hath
served the oppressed. He shall be more endurable to me."

The night fell and the dawn came again and again, but holy Hapi was
denied. Hour by hour the fuming lamp was set before the entrance, the
door was put a little aside, that the entering air might be purified
for those within. When the aromatic was exhausted, Rachel sought for
the root once more, among the herbs at the river-bank; for the
atmosphere, unsweetened, was beyond endurance.

Never a boat appeared on the water, nor was any human being seen
abroad. Egypt retired to her darkest corner and shuddered.

But after the seven days were fulfilled, the horror on the waters was
gone. It went as miasma is dispelled by the sun and wind--as
pestilence is killed by the frost--unseen, unprotesting. The lifting
of the plague was as awesome as its coming, but it was not horrible.
That was the only difference. Egypt rejoiced, but she trembled
nevertheless and went about timidly.

The Israelite and the Egyptian carried the punt, the boat of Khafra and
Sigur, and launched it on the clean waters. Then they prepared
themselves and Deborah and Anubis for a journey, and e