brow. He wore the dress of the Pharaoh's
chamberlain, and he told me how it had all happened. He also told me
that the Pharaoh had now thrown wide open the doors of slavery, and
offered to feed all who surrendered themselves to his service for life.
And Zaphnath never ceased to itch for all the lands, and cattle, and
slaves of every one in Kem and her tributary countries, either in
exchange for the bare needs of life, or as pledges for seed which he
knew would only rot and ruin the borrower.

I went about my affairs on the plateau that day, wondering how long I
should continue there, or whether my threat had been effective in
silencing the enmity of the rulers. When I returned that evening, I did
not find the doctor at the house. My servant said that a messenger from
the chamberlain had summoned him on important business, soon after the
noon-day meal. I waited a little longer, and then I began to fear that
the chamberlain had been used to decoy the doctor into some trap. If he
was staying away of his own account, why did he not send me some word?
Messengers were plenty. At last I sent the servant to the palace to
inquire and search for him. After a long stay he returned, saying the
doctor was nowhere to be found. No one had seen or heard of him there
that day.

"And the chamberlain?" I demanded.

"He was not to be found in his rooms, and no one had seen him since
noon-day."

"Didst thou make inquiry for the messenger who summoned the doctor?" I
asked.

He had not thought of it; so I started to the palace myself. I had gone
but a few steps when it occurred to me to act with a little more
caution, and be prepared for some plot against myself. I turned back to
the house, and had the servant remove the heap of pillows where I slept.
Underneath was a loosened stone of the floor, and below it we kept the
rifles, revolvers, and ammunition hidden. I carefully loaded all of
them, and put all the remaining cartridges into our two old belts. I
thought of strapping one of these about me, but reflected that this
would have a hostile and treasonable appearance, so I contented myself
with concealing one revolver in my coat, and then I carefully covered up
all the rest, and had the servant pile the pillows over the stone slab
again.

Then I went out and walked to the palace. Leaping the wall, I questioned
every one I saw about the doctor, the chamberlain, and his messenger. No
one had seen anything of them. The messenger was a