door of the tent.

"What is it?" asked the prince.

"Spies from the Libyan boundary bring strange news," said the favorite.
"A great throng of people are approaching our ravine, not troops,
however, but unarmed men, with children and women; at the head of them
is Musawasa, and the foremost of the Libyans."

"What does this mean?"

"Evidently they wish to beg peace of thee."

"After one battle?" asked the prince, with wonder.

"But what a battle! Besides, fear increases our army in their eyes.
They fear invasion and death."

"Let us see if this is a military stratagem," answered the prince,
after some thought. "How are our men?"

"They are in good health, they have eaten and drunk, they have rested
and are gladsome. But."

"But what?"

"Patrokles died in the night," whispered Tutmosis.

"How?" cried the prince, springing up.

"Some say that he drank too much, some that it was the punishment of
the gods. His face was blue and his mouth full of foam."

"Like that captive in Atribis, Thou rememberest him? His name was
Bakura; he broke into the feasting hall with complaints against the
nomarch. He died that same night from drunkenness, of course. What dost
Thou think?"

Tutmosis dropped his head.

"We must be very careful, my lord," whispered he.

"We shall try," answered the prince, calmly. "We will not even wonder
at the death of Patrokles. For what is there surprising in this, that
some drunken fellow dies who insulted the gods, nay! insulted the
priests even."

Tutmosis felt a threat in these jeering words.

The prince had loved Patrokles greatly. The Greek leader had been as
faithful as a dog to him. Ramses might forget many wrongs done himself,
but the death of that man he would not forgive.

Before midday a fresh regiment, the Theban, arrived from Egypt at the
prince's camp, and besides that some thousands of men and several
hundreds of asses bringing large supplies of provisions and also tents.
At the same time, from the direction of Libya, returned spies with
information that the baud of unarmed people coming toward the ravine
was increasing.

At command of the heir numerous small detachments of cavalry
reconnoitered the neighborhood in every direction to learn if a hostile
army were not hidden somewhere. Even the priests, who had brought with
them a small chapel of Amon, went to the summit of the highest hill and
held a religious service. Then returning to the camp, they assured
Ramses