is only six or seven days' journey why did not your people
go back again, Ruth?"

"They always hoped to go back some day, Mysa; but I don't think your
people would have let them go. You see, they made them useful for
building and cutting canals and other work. Besides, other people
dwell now in the land they came from, and these would not turn out
unless they were beaten in battle. My people are not accustomed to
fight; besides, they have stopped so long that they have become as the
Egyptians. For the most part they talk your language, although some
have also preserved the knowledge of their own tongue. They worship
your gods, and if they were not forced to labor against their will I
think now that most of them would prefer to live in ease and plenty in
Egypt rather than journey into a strange country, of which they know
nothing except that their forefathers hundreds of years ago came
thence. But here are the others," she broke off as the boat heeled
suddenly over as some one sprang on board. "Now we shall hear more
about the fighting."

The next day the journey was continued, and without further adventure
the flotilla arrived at last at the town where the party would leave
the river and strike for the coast. Having unloaded their goods and
discharged the boat, Jethro hired a small house until arrangements
were made for their journey to the seacoast. El Makrif[D] was a place
of no great importance. A certain amount of trade was carried on with
the coast, but most of the merchants trading with Meroe preferred the
longer but safer route through Axoum. Still parties of travelers
passed up and down and took boat there for Meroe; but there was an
absence of the temples and great buildings which had distinguished
every town they had passed between Thebes and Semneh.

[D] Now called Berber.

Jethro upon inquiry found that there were wells at the camping-places
along the whole route. The people were wild and savage, the Egyptian
power extending only from the seashore to the foot of the hills, some
fifteen miles away. Occasionally expeditions were got up to punish the
tribesmen for their raids upon the cultivated land of the coast, but
it was seldom that the troops could come upon them, for, knowing every
foot of the mountains, these eluded all search by their heavy-armed
adversaries. Jethro found that the custom was for merchants traveling
across this country to pay a fixed sum in goods for the right of
passage. There wer