e which the Rebu were in
future to pay. The army then evacuated the city and the inhabitants
were permitted to return.

The next day messengers arrived from the other Rebu towns. The fall of
the capital, which had been believed to be impregnable, after so short
a siege had struck terror into the minds of all, and the messengers
brought offers of submission to the king, with promises to pay any
tribute that he might lay upon them.

The king, well satisfied with his success and anxious to return
to Egypt, from which he had been absent nearly two years, replied
graciously to the various deputations, informing them that he had
already fixed the tribute that the nation was to pay annually, and
ordered a contribution to be sent in at once by each city in
proportion to its size. In a few days the required sums, partly
in money, partly in vessels of gold, embroidered robes, and other
articles of value, were brought in. When the full amount had been
received the camp was struck and the army started on their long march
back to Egypt, an officer of high rank being left as governor of the
newly captured province, with ten thousand men as a garrison.

Amuba was one of the fifty selected as slaves. Amusis had escaped in
the confusion, as had many others. Jethro was also one of the selected
band. Amuba was for a time careless of what befell him. The news of
the death of his mother, which had met him as, after fighting to the
last, he returned to the palace, had been a terrible blow, following
as it did so closely upon the loss of his father and the overthrow
of the nation. His mother had left the message for him that although
as life had no longer a charm for her she preferred death to the
humiliation of being carried a prisoner to Egypt, she trusted that he
would bear the misfortunes which had fallen on him and his people with
submission and patience; he was young, and there was no saying what
the future had in store for him.

"You will doubtless, my son," were the words of her message, "be
carried away captive into Egypt, but you may yet escape some day and
rejoin your people, or may meet with some lot in which you may find
contentment or even happiness there. At any rate, my last words to you
are, bear patiently whatever may befall you, remember always that your
father was king of the Rebu, and whatever your station in life may be,
try to be worthy of the rank to which you were born. There is no
greater happiness on a throne t