bout his welfare, but that no
evil consequences can follow the slaying of him in districts in which
he is not sacred, and where his god, as you say, feels little interest
in him."

"I hope that is so, Amuba; and that as the crocodile is not a sacred
animal here no harm may come from my striking one, though I would give
much that I had not been obliged to do so. I hope that my father will
regard the matter in the same light."

"I have no doubt that he will do so, Chebron, especially as we agreed
that you did no real harm to the beast."

"Is it not strange, Jethro," Amuba said when Chebron had gone into the
tent, "that wise and learned people like the Egyptians should be so
silly regarding animals?"

"It is strange, Amuba, and it was hard to keep from laughing to hear
you so gravely arguing the question with Chebron. If all the people
held the same belief I should not be surprised; but as almost every
animal worshiped in one of the districts is hated and slain in
another, and that without any evil consequences arising, one would
have thought that they could not but see for themselves the folly of
their belief. What are we going to do to-morrow?"

"I do not think that it is settled; we have had one day at each of the
sports. Rabah said that to-morrow we could either go out and see new
modes of fishing, or accompany the fowlers and watch them catching
birds in the clap nets, or go out into the desert and hunt ibex.
Chebron did not decide, but I suppose when he has finished his letter
we shall hear what he intends to do."

After Chebron had finished his letter, which was a long one, he called
Rabah and asked him to dispatch it at once by the fleetest-footed of
the slaves.

"He will get there," he said, "before my father retires to rest. If he
does not reply at once, he will probably answer in the morning, and at
any rate the man ought to be back before midday."

At dinner Amuba asked Chebron whether he had decided what they should
do the next day.

"We might go and look at the men with the clap nets," Chebron
answered. "They have several sorts in use, and take numbers of pigeons
and other birds. I think that will be enough for to-morrow. We have
had four days' hard work, and a quiet day will be pleasant, and if we
find the time goes slowly, we can take a boat across the lake and look
at the Great Sea beyond the sandhills that divide the lake from it;
beside, I hope we shall get my father's answer, and I should li