would pass
through in two days unmolested. That evening at sunset the Egyptian
army moved toward the desert, passed over more than forty kilometers of
sand in twelve hours, and next morning was on the hills between the
huts and the fortress and hid in the many ravines of that region.

If some man that night had told the Libyans that palm-trees and wheat
were growing in the valley of the Soda Lakes they would have been
astonished less than if he had declared that the Egyptians had barred
the way to it.

After a short rest, during which the priests had discovered and cleared
out a few wells of water somewhat endurable for drinking, the Egyptian
army began to occupy the hills extending along the northern side of the
valley.

The viceroy's plan was quite simple. He was to cut off the Libyans from
their country, and push them southward into the desert, where heat and
hunger would kill them.

With this object he disposed his army on the northern side of the
valley and divided it into three corps. The right wing, that which
extended most toward Libya, was led by Patrokles, who was to cut off
the invaders from their own town of Glaucus. The left wing, that
nearest to Egypt, commanded by Mentezufis, was to stop the Libyans from
advancing. Finally, the direction of the centre, at the glass huts, was
taken by Ramses, who had Pentuer near his person.

On the fifteenth of Hator about seven in the morning, some tens of
Libyan horsemen moved at a brisk trot through the valley. They stopped
a moment at the huts, looked around, and, seeing nothing suspicious,
rode back again.

At about ten in the forenoon in a heat which seemed to suck sweat and
draw blood from men's bodies, Pentuer said to the viceroy,

"The Libyans have entered the valley and passed Patrokles' division.
They will be here in an hour from now."

"Whence knowest Thou this?" asked the astonished prince.

"The priests know everything," replied Pentuer, smiling.

Then he ascended one of the cliffs cautiously, took from a bag a very
bright object and turning it in the direction of the holy Mentezufis
began to give certain signs with his hand.

"Mentezufis is informed already," said Pentuer.

The prince could not recover from astonishment and answered,

"My eyes are better than thine, and my hearing is not worse, I think;
still I see nothing, I hear nothing. How, then, dost Thou see the enemy
and converse with Mentezufis?"

Pentuer directed the prince to lo