eces, will go to ornament the
sandals of black men and Hebrews."

"Be at rest, holiness. In case of need not only the treasure itself,
but the labyrinth would vanish without a trace, together with its
guardians."

Ramses understood thoroughly that he had before him fanatics who
thought only of this: not to let any one possess that treasure. He sat
down on a pile of gold bricks, and continued,

"Then ye are preserving this property for evil days in Egypt?"

"Thou speakest truth, holiness."

"But who will convince you, its guardians, that those days have come
when they are really present?"

"To do that it would be necessary to call an extraordinary assembly of
Egyptians, an assembly made up of the pharaoh, thirteen priests of the
highest degree, thirteen nomarchs, thirteen nobles, thirteen officers,
and thirteen of each of the following: merchants, artisans, and earth-
tillers."

"Then ye would give to such an assembly the treasures?" asked the
pharaoh.

"We would give the necessary sum if the whole assembly, as one man,
decided that Egypt was in danger, and."

"And what?"

"If the statue of Amon in Thebes confirmed that decision."

Ramses dropped his head as if to hide his great satisfaction.

He had a plan ready.

"I shall be able to collect such an assembly and incline it to
unanimity," thought the pharaoh. "Also it seems to me the divine statue
of Amon will confirm the decision if I put my Asiatics around it."

"I thank you, pious men," said he aloud, "for showing me these precious
things, the great value of which does not prevent me from being one
among the poorest of sovereigns. And now I beg you to lead me hence by
the shortest way possible and the most convenient."

"We wish thee, holiness, to double the wealth of the labyrinth. As to
the road, there is only one, we must return as we came."

One of the priests gave Ramses dates, another a flask of wine mixed
with some invigorating substance. Then the pharaoh recovered strength
and went forward cheerfully.

"I would give much," said he, laughing, "to know all the turns of this
wonderful passage."

The guiding priest stopped,

"I assure thee, holiness, that we ourselves do not understand or
remember this road, though each one of us has entered a number of times
by it."

"Then how do ye manage?"

"We have certain indications, but if one of these were to fail us, even
at this moment we should die here of hunger."

They reached the antech