r a week. This was done, and the next day
they separated at dawn and took up their places on the hills at a
distance of about a mile apart, choosing spots where they commanded a
view over the valley, and arranging to meet at a central point when
night came on.

CHAPTER XV.

AMERES IS REVENGED.

Six days passed without their watch being rewarded; then Chebron,
whose post was just opposite the road where they had traced the
wheels, saw a chariot turn from the main road into it. As many others
had taken that course every day he did not at first feel very hopeful,
although the time precisely tallied with that at which Plexo should
have arrived had he started at the same hour as before. As it came
near, however, he became convinced that it was the vehicle he was
looking for. The horses tallied in color with those of Plexo, and the
color of his dress could even at that distance be distinguished. This
time, however, he was not accompanied by a servant, but by a figure
the whiteness of whose garment showed him also to be a priest. "That
must be Ptylus," he said to himself, "my father's murderer. Would I
were down by the edge of the road, with my bow and arrows; high priest
as he has now become, I would send an arrow through his heart!"

The chariot turned off by the road parallel to that which had been
followed from Thebes, and so close to the foot of the hills that from
Chebron's post he could no longer see it. As soon as it was out of
sight he leaped to his feet and hurried along the hills to join Amuba,
whose post was next to his own. He found his friend had already gone
on, and he hurried breathlessly on until he reached Jethro, who had
been joined by Amuba a few minutes before.

"Have you seen them?" he exclaimed.

"I have seen them and marked them down," Jethro replied. "You see that
roof among those trees at the foot of the hill half a mile further
along? They turned off the road and entered these trees. Our search is
over at last."

"What had we better do, Jethro? Wait until they have left again, and
then go down?"

"No," Jethro said sternly. "There are two things to be done--the one
is to rescue Mysa; the other to punish the murderer of Ameres. But
even did we determine to delay our vengeance I should say we must
still press on. You saw that arch-villain Ptylus with his son. He has
assuredly come for some purpose; probably he may intend to terrify the
girl until he drives her into taking some solemn