scover the position of
the enemy, of whose movements they possessed but vague information.

* Shabtuna had been placed on the Nahr es-Sebta, on the site
now occupied by Kalaat el-Hosn, a conjecture approved by
Mariette; it was more probably a town situated in the plain,
to the south of Bahr el-Kades, a little to the south-west of
Tell Keby Mindoh which represents Qodshu, and close to some
forests which at that time covered the slopes of Lebanon,
and, extending as they did to the bottom of the valley,
concealed the position of the Khati from the Egyptians.

Khatusaru lay concealed in the wooded valleys of the Lebanon; he was
kept well posted by his spies, and only waited an opportunity to take
the field; as an occasion did not immediately present itself, he had
recourse to a ruse with which the generals of the time were familiar.
Ramses, at length uneasy at not falling in with the enemy, advanced to
the south of Shabtuna, where he endeavoured to obtain information from
two Bedawin. "Our brethren," said they, "who are the chiefs of
the tribes united under the vile Prince of Khati, send us to give
information to your Majesty: We desire to serve the Pharaoh. We are
deserting the vile Prince of the Khati; he is close to Khalupu (Aleppo),
to the north of the city of Tunipa, whither he has rapidly retired from
fear of the Pharaoh." This story had every appearance of probability;
and the distance--Khalupu was at least forty leagues away--explained why
the reconnoitring parties of the Egyptians had not fallen in with any of
the enemy. The Pharaoh, with this information, could not decide whether
to lay siege to Qodshu and wait until the Hittites were forced to
succour the town, or to push on towards the Euphrates and there seek the
engagement which his adversary seemed anxious to avoid.

[Illustration: 193.jpg THE SHARDANA GUARD OF RAMSES II.]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a photograph by Insinger.

He chose the latter of the two alternatives. He sent forward the legions
of Anion, Phra, Phtah, and Sutkhu, which constituted the main body of
his troops, and prepared to follow them with his household chariotry. At
the very moment when this division was being effected, the Hittites, who
had been represented by the spies as being far distant, were secretly
massing their forces to the north-east of Qodshu, ready to make an
attack upon the Pharaoh's flank as soon as he should set out on h