befell him, there would be some of the true blood
left to succeed.

Also the Grasshopper was consulted by the priests who found the omens
favourable. Indeed I was told that this great golden locust sat up upon
its hind legs upon the altar and waved its feelers in the air, which
only happened when wonderful fortune was about to bless the land. The
tale reminded me of the nodding of the statues of our own gods in Egypt
when a new Pharaoh was presented to them, and of that of Isis when Amada
put up her prayer to the divine Mother. To tell the truth, I suspected
Karema of having some hand in the business. However, so it happened.

At length we set forth, a mighty host, Bes commanding the swordsmen and
I, under him, the archers, of whom there were more than thirty thousand
men, and glad was I when all the farewells were said and we were free of
the weeping crowds of women. At first Bes and Karema were somewhat sad
at parting from their children, but in a little while they grew gay
again since the one longed for battle and the other for the sands of
Egypt.

Now of our advance I need say little, except that it was slow, though
none dared to bar the road of so mighty an array. Since we must go on
foot, we were not able to cover more than five leagues a day, for even
after we reached the river boats could not be found for so many, though
Karema travelled in one with her ladies. Also cattle and corn must
always be sent forward for food. Still we crept on to Egypt without
sickness, accident, or revolt.

When we drew near to its frontiers messengers met us from Pharaoh
bearing letters in answer to those which we had sent with the tidings
of our coming. These contained little but ill news. It seemed that the
Great King with a countless host had taken all the cities of the Delta
and, after a long siege, had captured Memphis and put it to the sack,
and that the army of Egypt, fighting desperately by land and upon the
Nile was being driven southwards towards Thebes. Pharaoh added that he
proposed to make his last stand at the strong city of Amada, since he
doubted whether the troops from Lower Egypt would not rather surrender
to the Easterns than retreat further up the Nile. He thanked and blessed
us for our promised aid and prayed that it might come in time to save
Egypt from slavery and himself from death.

Also there was a letter for me from Amada in which she said,

"Oh! come quickly. Come quickly, beloved Shabaka, lest o