As soon as he heard the cry of fire, he hastened to the burning
pavilion, and when he saw the king's danger, he set himself at the head
of a number of soldiers who had hurried up from the camp, intending to
venture an attempt to save Rameses from the inside of the house. Among
those who followed him in this hopeless effort was Katuti's reckless
son, who had distinguished himself by his valor before Kadesh, and who
hailed this opportunity of again proving his courage. Falling walls
choked up the way in front of these brave adventurers; but it was not
till several had fallen choked or struck down by burning logs, that
they made up their minds to retire--one of the first that was killed was
Katuti's son, Nefert's brother.

Uarda had been carried into the nearest tent. Her pretty head lay in
Bent-Anat's lap, and Nefert tried to restore her to animation by rubbing
her temples with strong essences. Presently the girl's lips moved: with
returning consciousness all she had seen and suffered during the last
hour or two recurred to her mind; she felt herself rushing through the
camp with her father, hurrying through the corridor to the princess's
rooms, while he broke in the doors closed by Katuti's orders; she saw
Bent-Anat as she roused her, and conducted her to safety; she remembered
her horror when, just as she reached the door, she discovered that she
had left in her chest her jewel, the only relic of her lost mother, and
her rapid return which was observed by no one but by the leech Nebsecht.

Again she seemed to live through the anguish she had felt till she once
more had the trinket safe in her bosom, the horror that fell upon her
when she found her escape impeded by smoke and flames, and the weakness
which overcame her; and she felt as if the strange white-robed priest
once more raised her in his arms. She remembered the tenderness of his
eyes as he looked into hers, and she smiled half gratefully but half
displeased at the tender kiss which had been pressed on her lips before
she found herself in her father's strong arms.

"How sweet she is!" said Bent-Anat. "I believe poor Nebsecht is right
in saying that her mother was the daughter of some great man among the
foreign people. Look what pretty little hands and feet, and her skin is
as clear as Phoenician glass."

CHAPTER XLIV.

While the friends were occupied in restoring Uarda to animation, and in
taking affectionate care of her, Katuti was walking restless