that knave to a pole from the prow of the royal ship."
Which last thing I hope he did.

When the embassy had gone Bes gave orders that the whole army should eat
and lie down to sleep.

"I am sure," said he, "that the Great King will not attack us at once,
since he will hope that we shall flee away during the night, having seen
his strength."

So the Ethiopians filled themselves and then lay down to sleep, which
these people can do at any time, even if not tired as they were. But
while they rested Bes and I and Karema, with some of the generals
consulted together long and earnestly. For in truth we knew not what
to do. But a league away lay the town of Amada beset by hundreds of
thousands of the Easterns so that none could come in or out, and within
its walls were the remains of Pharaoh's army, not more than twenty
thousand men, all told, if what we heard were true. On the Nile also
was the great Grecian and Cyprian fleet, two hundred vessels and more,
though as we could see by the light of the setting sun the most of these
were made fast to the western bank where the Egyptians could not come at
them.

For the rest our position was good, being on high desert beyond the
cultivated land which bordered the eastern bank. But in front of us,
separating us from the southern army of the King, stretched a swamp hard
to cross, so that we could not hope to make an attack by night as there
was no moon. Lastly, the main Eastern strength, to the number of two
hundred thousand or more, lay to the north beyond Amada.

All these things we considered, talking low and earnestly there in the
tent, till it grew so dark that we could not see each other's faces
while behind us slumbered our army that now numbered some seventy
thousand men.

"We are in a trap," said Bes at length. "If we await attack they will
weigh us down with numbers. If we flee they have camels and horses and
will overtake us; also ships of which we have none. If we attack it must
be without cover through swamp where we shall be bogged.

"Meanwhile Pharaoh is perishing within yonder walls of Amada which the
engines batter down. By the Grasshopper! I know not what to do. It seems
that our journey is vain and that few of us will see Ethiopia more; also
that Egypt is sped."

I made no answer, for here my generalship failed me and I had nothing
to say. The captains, too, were silent, only woman-like, Karema wept a
little, and I too went near to weeping who though