f arrest for participation in this matter
would not be among them.

"I know that your fidelity and friendship for the son of your late
king would cause you to risk all dangers and hardships for his sake,
and that if bravery and prudence could take him safely through such
terrible dangers as would be encountered in such a journey as I speak
of, you will conduct him through them. I ask you to let Chebron share
your protection, and to render him such service as you will give to
Amuba."

"I can promise that willingly, my lord," Jethro answered. "He has
treated Amuba more as a brother than a servant since we came here, and
I will treat him as if he were a brother to Amuba, now that danger
threatens. The journey you speak of would, indeed, be a long and
dangerous one; but I agree with you that only by accomplishing it is
there even a chance of escape."

"Then I commit my son to your charge, Jethro, and I do so with full
confidence that if it be possible for him to make this journey in
safety he will do so. I have already placed in the hands of Chigron,
the embalmer, a large sum of money. You can trust him absolutely. It
is through my patronage that he has risen from being a small worker to
be the master of one of the largest businesses in Egypt, and he has
the embalming of all the sacred animals belonging to our temple and
several others. He will hide the boys for a time until you are ready
to start on your journey.

"When you are once a few days south of Thebes you will be fairly safe
from pursuit, for they will never think of looking for you in that
direction, but will make sure that you will attempt to leave the
country either by sea, by the Eastern Desert, or that you may possibly
try to reach some of the tribes in the west, and so to go down upon
the Great Sea there. I thought at first that this might be the best
direction; but the tribes are all subject to us and would naturally
regard Egyptians going among them as fugitives from justice, and so
hand them over to us."

"You can rely upon me, my lord, to carry out your directions and do
all that is possible to serve the two lads. What the country through
which we have to pass is like, or its inhabitants, I know not, but at
least we will do our best to reach the Arabian Sea as you direct.
Amuba is hardy and strong, and Chebron, though less powerful in frame,
is courageous, and able to use his weapons. We should, of course,
travel in disguise. But you spoke somethin