to do to-morrow, Jethro, which only you can arrange.
There's the boat to be hired, stores laid in, and all got in
readiness. I think the best plan will be for you both to start at once
with the girls for Thebes. You and Chebron can occupy your
hiding-place on the hill, and Chigron will be glad to take the girls
into his house. There is no danger of an immediate search being made
for them.

"To-night when the priest and his son do not return their servants
will suppose that they have slept here. It will not be until late
to-morrow afternoon that there will be any alarm or any likelihood of
a messenger being sent over here; then the consternation and confusion
that will be caused will be so great that probably no one will think
of carrying the news to the officials until the next morning. Besides,
until the story of Mysa's having been here and of her being missing is
generally known, there is no reason that what has taken place should
be attributed to us; therefore, for the next forty-eight hours I think
that they would be perfectly safe at the embalmer's. I will drive the
chariot thirty or forty miles north, then turn the horses loose where
they are sure to be noticed ere long, and will return on foot and join
you in your hiding-place to-morrow night."

"I think your plan is a very good one, Amuba. Before we start I will
make a search through the house. There will be nothing we want to take
with us, nor would we touch any of the treasure of the villains were
the house full of it; but if I toss some of the things about it will
look as if robbery had been the motive of what has taken place. The
men in bonds can know nothing of the real state of things. Plexo, when
he rushed out for their aid, could have had no time to do more than
to tell them to take up their arms and follow him; indeed, it is
doubtful whether he himself had any idea that we were aught but what
we seemed. Therefore, the first impression assuredly will be that we
were malefactors of the worst kind, escaped slaves, men with no
respect for the gods; for assuredly no Egyptians, even the worst of
criminals, would, in cold blood, have laid hands on the high priest of
Osiris."

"They laid hands on my father," Chebron said bitterly.

"Yes, but not in cold blood. Reports had first been spread among them
that he was untrue to the gods, and then they were maddened by
fanaticism and horror at the death of that sacred cat. But in cold
blood, as I said, no Egypti