iterranean. Along that canal they would build fortresses and
concentrate a numerous army all the trade with unknown nations of the
Orient and the West would fall into the hands of Egyptians.

They would require an Egyptian fleet and Egyptian sailors. But above
all was the need to crush Assyria, which was growing each year more
dangerous. It was imperative to stop priestly greed and excesses. Let
priests be sages, let them have a sufficiency, but let them serve the
state instead of using it for their own profit as at present.

"In the month Hator," thought Samentu, "I shall be ruler of Egypt! The
young lord loves women and warriors too well to labor at governing. And
if he has no son, then my son, my son."

He came to himself. One more torch had burnt out; it was high time to
leave those underground chambers.

He rose, took his basket and left the hall above the treasure.

"I need no assistance," thought he, laughing. "I have secured
everything I alone I, the despised priest of Set!"

He had passed a number of tens of chambers and corridors when he halted
on a sudden. It seemed to him that on the pavement of the hall to which
he was going he saw a small streak of light.

In one moment such dreadful fear seized the man that he put out his
torch. But the streak of light on the pavement had vanished. Samentu
strained his hearing, but he heard only the throbbing of his own
temples.

"That only seemed to me!" said he.

With a trembling hand he took out of the basket a small vessel in which
punk was burning slowly, and he lighted the torch again.

"I am very drowsy," thought he. Looking around the chamber he went to a
wall in which a door was hidden. He pushed a nail; the door did not
slip back. A second, a third pressure no effect.

"What does this mean?" thought Samentu in amazement.

He forgot now the streak of light. It seemed to him that a new thing,
unheard of, had met him. He had opened in his life so many hundreds of
secret doors, he had opened so many in the labyrinth, that he could not
understand simply the present resistance. Terror seized him a second
time. He ran from wall to wall and tried secret doors everywhere. At
last one opened. He found himself in an immense hall, filled as usual
with columns. His torch lighted barely a part of the space, the
remainder of it was lost in thick darkness.

The darkness, the forest of columns, and above all the strangeness of
the hall gave the priest confidence.