chase; and that he had been set upon and would have been slain, as he
well deserved, had not one of the princes of the royal house arrived
and carried him off in his chariot. This news excited the greatest
surprise and indignation, and two officers of the city had gone out to
the prince's mansion, which was six miles away from the city, to claim
the fugitive and bring him to the town, when he would be at once
delivered to the just anger of the populace.

"As soon as I learned this I started out along the road by which they
would return, and hurried on past the people already gathered there. I
had brought my sword with me, and my intention was that as the chariot
returned with you I would leap upon it, surprise and slay the
officials, and drive off with you; for I knew you would be able to
take no part in making the escape, as I had heard that you were
already insensible when carried off in the chariot. There were groups
of people all along the road with torches, but I thought that a sudden
surprise would probably be successful.

"At last I heard the chariot approaching. It was being driven more
slowly than I had expected. As it came to a large group of people some
distance ahead of me it stopped for a moment, and the official
addressed the people. There was no shout or sound of exultation, and I
felt convinced at once that either upon their arrival they had found
that you were already dead, or that in some miraculous way you had
escaped. I therefore hurried back to the next group. When the chariot
came up there was a shout of, 'What is the news? Where is the
malefactor?' The officials checked their horses and replied: 'A
mistake has been made. The prince assures us that the lad was a poor
slave and wholly innocent of this affair. He has satisfied himself
that in their jealousy for the honor of the gods the peasants who
attacked the lad committed a grievous wrong and fell upon a wholly
innocent person. After assuring himself of this he had had his wounds
bound up and suffered him to depart. The prince intends to lay a
complaint before the council against the persons who have cruelly
maltreated and nearly murdered an innocent person, who, he stated,
interfered in the matter because he saw a slave attacking a young lad,
and who fled fearing trouble because of the punishment he had
inflicted upon the aggressor.'

"The announcement was received in silence; but when the chariot had
driven on again there was much murmuring.