remain there until we join you."

Chebron passed out on to the colonnade, following Mysa and Ruth. The
moment they were unobserved Mysa threw her arms round him, and burst
into tears with joy.

"Oh, Chebron!" she exclaimed, "you have arrived just in time. I
thought we were never going to get away from that dreadful man; and I
don't know what I should have done if it hadn't been for Ruth. And,
oh! they have been telling me such terrible things--but they can't be
true--that our dear father had been killed; and that it was you,
Chebron, who killed dear Paucis; but of course I did not believe
them--I knew it was all their wickedness."

"Never mind about that, dear," Chebron said; "we will talk about all
this afterward. The first thing is to get you away from this place.
Jethro and Amuba will soon decide what is best to be done. Are there
any others in the house?"

"There is one other man," Ruth replied, "and an old woman; I think the
other man is at the door with the chariot."

"I had better tell Jethro," Chebron said, and he again went into the
room and told Jethro what he had heard.

"We will seize the woman first," Jethro said, "and then go out round
the house and come down from the other way upon the chariot. The man
will have heard the outcry; and if we came suddenly out of the door,
might leap into the chariot and drive off before we could overtake
him. But if we come upon it from behind we shall secure him."

"But you have forgotten to bind Plexo," Chebron said.

"Plexo is dead," Jethro replied. "As he fell his arm was beneath him,
and the knife with which he had intended to strike you pierced his
heart. I am very glad that you observed the way I spoke to Amuba. It
was of the greatest importance that the name should not be mentioned.
This affair will cause a tremendous excitement. There is nothing to
connect us with Ptylus, and it may be supposed that it is the work of
some malefactors who came down from the hills in search of plunder.
The fact that Mysa was here and was carried away is not in itself any
proof that we had a hand in it, for Libyan robbers might well have
carried her and Ruth away to make slaves of. Plexo caught but a
glimpse of us, and doubtless only rushed out and called to the men to
come to his father's assistance. At any rate, let there be no names
mentioned. Now let us finish our work here."

The female servant was soon found and bound; then the four prisoners
were placed in different