d of the writing. I shall
warn the king by word of mouth." He turned away and walked swiftly
toward the portals of the shrine. Jambres beheld him recede into the
dusk and wavered.

"Stay!" he called.

Kenkenes stopped.

"Wilt thou swear fidelity by the holy Name?"

"Aye, and by that holier Name of Jehovah, also."

He returned and faced the priest. "Thou art mystic, Father Jambres,"
he said persuasively; "what does thy heart tell thee of me?"

"The supplication of the need indorses thee, as it indorses any
desperate chance. If thou art false, thou art the instrument of Set,
whom the Hathors have given to overthrow Egypt. If thou art true, the
Pharaoh shall return safe to his capital in Memphis. The gratitude of
Egypt will be sufficient reward."

"And I take the message?"

Jambres nodded. "Art thou armed?" he asked, bending again to look into
the compartment he had opened.

"Except for my dagger, nay."

The sorcerer brought forth a falchion of that wondrous metal that could
carve syenite granite and bite into porphyry; also, a pair of
horse-hide sandals and a flat water-bottle.

"Put on these."

Kenkenes undid his cloak and untying his broidered sandals, wrapped
them in his mantle and bound the roll, crosswise, on his back. Over
this he slung the water-bottle, which the priest had filled in the
meantime, fixed the falchion at his side and put on the horse-hide
sandals.

"When hast thou broken thy fast?" the priest asked next.

"At sunset yesterday."

The priest turned with a sign to the young man to follow him and,
passing through the shrine, led the way out of the sanctuary into the
house of the sorcerer. Here, shortly, Kenkenes was served by a slave,
with a haunch of gazelle-meat, lettuce, white bread and wine.

While he ate, the priest informed him of the situation he might expect
to find at the end of his journey.

"The Israelites departed in the early hours of this morning taking the
Wady Toomilat, east, toward the gates of the Rameside wall. It was the
going forth of a multitude,--the exodus of a nation! And they will
travel at the pace of their slowest lambs. Thus Meneptah can gather
his legions and make ready to pursue ere they have reached the wall."
The priest had begun calmly, but the thought of pursuit excited him.

"He must not follow!" he continued. "They are unarmed, but the Pharaoh
deals with a wizard and a strange God--no common foe. And if these
were all who have e