The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 6

Rameses and his comrade ran about a quarter of an hour along the rocky ridge of the hill, drawing ever nearer to the trumpets, which sounded more and more urgently. At last they reached a point where they took in at a glance the whole region. Toward the left stretched the highway; beyond that were seen clearly the city of Pi-Bailos, the regiments of the heir drawn up behind it, and an immense cloud of dust which rose above his opponent hastening forward from the east.

On the right yawned a broad ravine, along the middle of which the Greek regiment was dragging military engines. Not far from the road the ravine was lost in another and a broader one which began in the depth of the desert.

At this point something uncommon was happening. The Greeks stood unoccupied not far from the junction of the two ravines; but at the juncture itself, and between the highway and the staff of Rameses, marched out four dense lines of some other army, like four fences, bristling with glittering darts.

In spite of the steep road the prince rushed down at full speed to his division, to the place where the minister of war stood surrounded by officers.

"What is happening?" called he, threateningly. "Why sound an alarm instead of marching?"

"We are cut off," said Herhor.

"By whom?"

"Our division by three regiments of Nitager, who has marched out of the desert."

"Then the enemy is there, near the highway?"

"Yes, the invincible Nitager himself."

It seemed in that moment that the heir to the throne had gone mad.

His lips were contorted, his eyes were starting out of their sockets.

He drew his sword, rushed to the Greeks, and cried,--

"Follow me against those who bar the road to us."

"O heir, live forever!" cried Patrokles, who drew his sword also.

"Forward, descendants of Achilles!" said he, turning to his men. "We will teach those Egyptian cowkeepers not to stop us!"

Trumpets sounded the attack. Four short but erect Greek columns rushed forward, a cloud of dust rose, and a shout in honor of Rameses.

After a couple of minutes the Greeks found themselves in the presence of the Egyptian regiments, and hesitated.

"Forward!" cried the heir, rus.h.i.+ng on, sword in hand.

The Greeks lowered their spears. On the opposing side there was a movement, a murmur flew along the ranks, and spears also were lowered.

"Who are ye, madmen?" asked a mighty voice.

"The heir to the throne!" shouted Patrokles.

A moment of silence.

"Open ranks!" commanded the same voice, mighty as before.

The regiments of the eastern army opened slowly, like heavy folding-doors, and the Greek division pa.s.sed between them.

Then a gray-haired warrior in golden helmet and armor approached Prince Rameses and said with a low obeisance,--

"Erpatr,[2] thou hast conquered. Only a great warrior could free himself from difficulty in that way."

[2] Heir.

"Thou art Nitager, the bravest of the brave!" cried the prince.

At that moment Herhor approached. He had heard the conversation, and said abruptly,--

"Had there been on your side such an awkward leader as the erpatr, how could we have finished the manuvres?"

"Let the young warrior alone!" answered Nitager. "Is it not enough for thee that he has shown the iron claws, as was proper for a son of the pharaoh?"

Tutmosis, noting the turn which the conversation had taken, asked Nitager,--

"Whence hast thou come, that thy main forces are in front of our army?"

"I knew how incompetently the division was marching from Memphis, when the heir was concentrating his regiments near Pi-Bailos, and for sport I wished to capture you young lords. To my misfortune the heir was here and spoiled my plans. Act that way always, Rameses, of course in presence of real enemies."

"But if, as to-day, he meets a force three times superior?" inquired Herhor.

"Daring keenness means more than strength," replied the old leader.

"An elephant is fifty times stronger than a man; still he yields to him, or dies at his hands."

Herhor listened in silence.

The manuvres were declared finished. Prince Rameses with the minister and commanders went to the army near Pi-Bailos. There he greeted Nitager's veterans, took farewell of his own regiments, commanded them to march eastward, and wished success to them.

Then, surrounded by a great suite, he returned by the highway to Memphis amid crowds from the land of Goshen, who with green garlands and in holiday robes congratulated the conqueror.

When the highway turned toward the desert, the crowd became thinner, and when they approached the place where the staff of the heir had entered the ravine because of the scarabs, there was no one.

Rameses nodded to Tutmosis, and pointing to the naked hill, whispered,--

"Thou wilt go to Sarah--"

"I understand."

"Tell her father that I will give him land outside Memphis."

"I understand. Thou wilt have her to-morrow."

After this conversation Tutmosis withdrew to the troops marching behind the suite, and vanished.

Almost opposite the ravine along which the army had pa.s.sed in the morning, some tens of steps from the road, stood a tamarind-tree which, though old, was not large. At this point a halt was made by the guard which had preceded the suite.

"Shall we meet scarabs again?" asked Rameses, with a laugh.

"We shall see," answered Herhor.

They looked; on the slender tree a naked man was hanging.