l not last for long), and by six picked huntsmen, brave men as you
thought, who will serve to escort us and our treasure to the coast."

"First I must win the match, Bes."

"Which you could do with one eye blinded, Master, and a sore finger.
Kings think that they can shoot because all the worms that crawl about
them and are named men, dare not show themselves their betters. Oh! I
have heard tales in yonder city. There have been days when this Lord
of the world has missed six lions with as many arrows, and they seated
smiling in his face, being but tamed brutes brought from far in cages of
wood, yes, smiling like cats in the sun. Look you, Master, he drinks
too much wine and sits up too late in his Women's house--there are three
hundred of them there, Master--to shoot as you and I can. If you doubt
it, look at his eyes and hands. Oh! the pearls and the gold and the men
are yours, and that painted prince who mocked us is where he ought to
be--dead in the mud.

"Did I tell you how I managed that, Master? As you know better than I
do, lions hate those that have on them the smell of their own blood.
Therefore, while I pointed out the way to him, I touched the painted
prince with the bleeding tail of that which we killed, pretending that
it was by chance, for which he cursed me, as well he might. So when we
came to the dead lion and, as I had expected, met there the lioness you
had wounded, she charged through the hunters at him who smelt of her
husband, and bit his head off."

"But, Bes, you smelt of him also, and worse."

"Yes, Master, but that painted cousin of the King came first. I kept
well behind him, pretending to be afraid," and he chuckled quietly,
adding, "I expect that he is now telling an angry tale about me to
Osiris, or to the Grasshopper that takes him there, as it may happen."

"These Easterns worship neither Osiris, nor your Grasshopper, Bes, but a
flame of fire."

"Then he is telling the tale to the fire, and I hope that it will get
tired and burn him."

So we talked merrily enough because we had done great deeds and thought
that we had outwitted the Easterns and the King, not knowing all their
craft. For none had told us that that man who hunted with the King and
yet dared to draw arrow upon the quarry before the King should be put
to death as one who had done insult to his Majesty. This that royal fox
remembered and therefore was sure that he would win the wager.

Now the chariots turned and pas