Thou art not even made pharaoh, and that 'it is
possible to exclude thee from the throne."

"That is just what I feared," whispered Niort's.

The pharaoh sprang up from his seat.

"Tutmosis!" cried he, in a voice in which his recovered energy was
heard. "Take as many troops as Thou wishest; go to the temple of Ptah
and bring me Herhor and Mefres, accused of high treason. If they are
justified I will return my favor; in the opposite case."

"Hast Thou finished?" interrupted the queen.

This time the indignant pharaoh did not answer her, and the officials
cried,

"Death to traitors! When has it begun that in Egypt a pharaoh must
sacrifice faithful servants to beg for himself the favor of
scoundrels?"

Ramses XIII confided to Tutmosis the package of letters of Herhor to
Assyria, and said in a solemn voice,

"Till the rebellion of the priests is suppressed, I place my power in
the person of Tutmosis, commander of the guards. And do ye listen to
him, and do thou, worthy mother, go with thy judgments to him?"

"Wisely and justly has the sovereign acted!" exclaimed the chief
scribe. "It does not become a pharaoh to struggle with sedition, and a
lack of firm rule might destroy us."

All the dignitaries inclined before Tutmosis. Queen Niort's fell at her
son's feet.

Tutmosis, in company with the generals, went out to the court. He
commanded the first regiment of the guard to form, and said,

"I need 'a few tens of men who are ready to die for the glory of our
lord."

More presented themselves, both men and officers, than were needed, and
at the head of them Eunana.

"Are ye prepared for death?" inquired Tutmosis.

"We will die with thee, lord, for his holiness!" exclaimed Eunana.

"Ye will not die, but ye will overcome vile criminals," replied
Tutmosis. "Soldiers belonging to this expedition will become officers,
and officers will be advanced two degrees. I say this to you, I,
Tutmosis, supreme chief by the will of the pharaoh."

"Live Thou forever!"

Tutmosis commanded to prepare twenty-five two-wheeled chariots of the
heavy cavalry, and ordered the volunteers to enter. Then he with
Kalippos mounted their horses, and soon the whole retinue turned toward
Memphis and vanished in a dust cloud.

When Hiram saw this from the window of a villa, he bowed before the
pharaoh and whispered,

"Now for the first time I believe that Thou art not in conspiracy with
the high priests."

"Wert Thou mad?" burst out