ptured and Amusis
slain. I would do nothing further to-night. The Egyptians are four
thousand strong, while we have but half that number. It would be
madness to risk a repulse now. I will send off messengers at once to
the governors of all the towns and to our friends there, informing
them that the usurper is slain, that you are proclaimed king and are
now besieging the Egyptians in their quarters, and ordering them to
march hither at once with every man capable of bearing arms.

"In three days we shall have twenty thousand men here, and the
Egyptians, finding their position hopeless, will surrender; whereas if
you attack now we may be repulsed and you may be slain, and in that
case the country, left without a leader, will fall again into
slavery."

Amuba, whose armor had already been pierced by several arrows and who
was bleeding freely, was with some difficulty persuaded by Jethro to
adopt his counsel. He saw at last that it was clearly the wisest plan
to adopt, and orders were at once issued to the men to desist from
further assaults, but to content themselves with repelling any attacks
the Egyptians might make.

These, however, were too ignorant as to the strength of their
assailants to think of taking the offensive, and until morning both
sides contented themselves with keeping up an incessant fire of arrows
against the openings in the buildings occupied by their foes. In the
morning Amuba ordered some green branches to be elevated on the flat
terrace of the house he occupied. The signal was observed and the fire
of the Egyptians ceased. As soon as it did so Jethro presented himself
on the terrace, and a minute or two later the Egyptian governor
appeared on the terrace of the opposite building. Not a little
surprised was he to hear himself addressed in his own language.

"In the name of King Amuba, son of King Phrases and lawful ruler of
the Rebu, I, Jethro his general, summon you to surrender. The usurper
Amusis is dead and the whole land has risen against you. Our force is
overpowering--resistance can only result in the death of every
Egyptian under your orders. Did we choose we could starve you out, for
we know that you have no more than a week's provisions in your
magazines.

"There is no possibility that assistance can reach you. No messenger
could pass the watchers in the plain; and could they do so your
nearest force is hundreds of miles away, and is of no strength to
fight its way hither. In the name