more gently with him, had he
complained like the man behind him, or burst into fierce oaths like
his yoke-mate, who made threatening allusions to the future when his
sister-in-law would be in high favor with Pharaoh and know how to repay
those who ill-treated her dear relative.

But Hosea had resolved to bear whatever the rude fellow and his mates
chose to inflict with the same equanimity that he endured the scorching
sun which, ever since he had served in the army, had tortured him during
many a march through the desert, and his steadfast, manly character
helped him keep this determination.

If the captain of the gang loaded him with extra heavy burdens, he
summoned all the strength of his muscles and tottered forward without a
word of complaint until his knees trembled under him; then the captain
would rush to him, throw several packages from his shoulders, and
exclaim that he understood his spite; he was only trying to be left on
the road, to get him into fresh difficulties; but he would not allow
himself to be robbed of the lives of the men who were needed in the
mines.

Once the captain inflicted a wound that bled severely; but he instantly
made every effort to cure it, gave him wine to restore his strength, and
delayed the march half a day to permit him to rest.

He had not forgotten Prince Siptah's promise of a rich reward to any one
who brought him tidings of Hosea's death, but this was the very
reason that induced the honest-hearted man to watch carefully over his
prisoner's life; for the consciousness of having violated his duty for
the sake of reaping any advantage would have robbed him of all pleasure
in food and drink, as well as of the sound sleep which were his greatest
blessings.

So though the Hebrew prisoner was tortured, it was never beyond the
limits of the endurable, and he had the pleasure of rendering, by his
own great strength, many a service to his weaker companions.

He had commended his fate to the God who had summoned him to His
service; but he was well aware that he must not rest content with mere
pious confidence, and therefore thought by day and night of escape. But
the chain that bound him to his companions in suffering was too firmly
forged, and was so carefully examined and hammered every morning and
evening, that the attempt to escape would only have plunged him into
greater misery.

The prisoners had at first marched through a hilly region, then climbed
upward, with a long m