with the bill on it. He was an Egyptian slave, old
and entirely naked. He looked for a while with the utmost amazement at
the work of the soldiers; then, springing between them on a sudden, he
shouted,

"What are ye doing, vile people? This is a canal."

"But how darest Thou use evil words against the warriors of his
holiness?" asked Eunana, who stood there.

"Thou must be an Egyptian and a great person, I see that," said the
slave; "so I answer thee that this canal belongs to a mighty lord; he
is the manager and secretary of one who bears the fan for his
worthiness the nomarch of Memphis. Be on thy guard or misfortune will
strike thee!"

"Do your work," said Eunana, with a patronizing tone, to the Greek
soldiers who began to look at the slave.

They did not understand his speech, but the tone of it arrested them.

"They are filling in all the time!" said the slave, with rising fear.
"Woe to thee!" cried he, rushing at one of the Greeks with his pickaxe.

The Greek pulled it from the man, struck him on the mouth, and brought
blood to his lips; then he threw sand into the canal again.

The slave, stunned by the blow, lost courage and fell to imploring.

"Lord," said he, "I dug this canal alone for ten years, in the night
time and during festivals! My master promised that if I should bring
water to this little valley he would make me a servant in it, give me
one fifth of the harvests, and grant me freedom do you hear? Freedom to
me and my three children! O gods!"

He raised his hands and turned again to Eunana,

"They do not understand me, these vagrants from beyond the sea,
descendants of dogs, brothers to Jews and Phoenicians! But listen,
lord, to me! For ten years, while other men went to fairs and dances or
sacred processions, I stole out into this dreary ravine. I did not go
to the grave of my mother, I only dug; I forgot the dead so as to give
freedom with laud to my children, and to myself even one free day
before death. Ye, O gods, be my witnesses how many times has night
found me here! how many times have I heard the wailing cries of hyenas
in this place, and seen the green eyes of wolves! But I did not flee,
for whither was I, the unfortunate, to flee, when at every path terror
was lurking, and in this canal freedom held me back by the feet? Once,
beyond that turn there, a lion came out against me, the pharaoh of
beasts. The pickaxe dropped from my hands, I knelt down before him, and
I, as ye see m