CHAPTER XIV.
A PRINCE OF EGYPT.
When Amuba recovered his senses he was lying in a heap at the bottomof the chariot. Two men were standing in the car beside him. The onehe supposed to be the driver, the other the owner of the chariot.
In a few minutes the chariot turned off through a stately gateway. Thedriver leaped down and closed the gates, and then led the horses tothe steps leading up to a splendid mansion. The man beside him calledout, and two or three slaves ran down the steps. Then he was liftedout, carried into the house, and laid upon a couch. A cup of wine wasplaced to his lips, and after he had drunk a slave bathed his headwith cold water, and bandaged up the numerous cuts from which bloodwas flowing.
This greatly refreshed him, and he raised himself on his arm. An orderwas given, and the slaves left the apartment, and Amuba looking up sawa tall and stately figure standing before him. He recognized him atonce, for he had seen him following the king in one of the processionsamong the princes of Egypt.
"Who are you? and is it true what those men whom I found maltreatingyou averred, that you are the slayer of the Cat of Bubastes?"
"My name is Amuba, my lord," the lad said, striving to stand upright,but his questioner signed to him to remain seated. "I am a Rebu takenprisoner of war, and handed as a slave to Ameres, high priest ofOsiris. I am not the slayer of the cat, but it is true that I waspresent at its death, and that it might just as well have been myarrow that accidentally pierced it as that of him who did so."
"Then it was an accident?" the noble said.
"It was wholly an accident, my lord. We fired at a hawk that had beenthinning the pet birds of my master's daughter. One of the arrowsstruck a tree, and glancing off entered the house in which the cat waskept and unfortunately caused its death. We regretted the accidentbitterly, knowing how sacred was the animal in the sight of theEgyptians."
"And not in your sight, young man? You are not yet a follower of thegods of the Egyptians?"
"I am not, my lord," Amuba answered; "but at the same time I would notupon any account have willfully done aught to offend the religiousopinions of others, although I myself have not been taught to considerthe life of a cat as of more value than that of other animals."
"Then you worship the gods of your own people?"
Amuba was silent for a moment.
"I would answer frankly, my lord, and I hope that you will not bedispleased. Since I have come to Egypt I have come to think thatneither the gods of the Egyptians nor the gods my fathers worshipedare the true gods. I believe that there is one great God over all, andthat the others are but as it were his attributes, which men worshipunder the name of gods."
The Egyptian uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"Whence did you obtain such a belief as this?" he asked.
Amuba was silent.
"It must have been from Ameres himself," the noble went on, seeingthat the lad was reluctant to answer. "I knew him well, and also thathe carried to an extreme the knowledge he had gained. But how came itthat he should speak of such matters to you--a slave?"
"My master was good enough to make me a companion and friend to hisson rather than a servant to him," Amuba replied, "partly because hethought that I should lead him to a more active life, which he needed,for he was overstudious; partly because I had high rank in my owncountry, of which my father was the king. But he never spoke of thismatter until after the accident of the cat. My friend Chebron wasutterly cast down at the sin that he thought he had committed, andwould at once have denounced himself, preferring death to living withsuch a burden upon his mind. Then his father, seeing that his wholelife would be imbittered, and that he would probably be forced to flyfrom Egypt and dwell in some other land, told him the belief which hehimself held. I believed this all the more readily because I had heardmuch the same from an Israelite maiden who served my master'sdaughter."
Again Amuba's listener uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"I knew not," he said, after a pause, "that there was an Israelite whostill adhered to the religion of their ancestors."
"The maiden told me that for the most part they had taken to theworship of the Egyptians, and indeed, so far as she knew, she was thelast who clung to the old belief. She had been brought up by agreat-grandfather who had been driven from his people and forced todwell apart because he reproached them for having forsaken their God,and he instructed her in the faith he held, which was that there wasbut one God over all the earth."
"Do you know who I am?" the noble asked abruptly.
"I know that you are one of the princes of the land, my lord, for Ihave seen you in a procession following closely behind the king withhis sons and other princes."
"I also am an Israelite. It seems strange to you, doubtless," he wenton, as Amuba started in astonishment at hearing a prince of Egyptdeclare himself as belonging to the hated race. "Many years ago, atthe time I was an infant, there was a great persecution of theIsraelites, and as is supposed my father and mother, fearing for mylife, placed me in a little cradle and set me afloat on the water. Itchanced--or was it chance or the will of God?--that the water took meto the spot where the Princess Thermuthis, the daughter of the thenking, was bathing with her maidens. She had compassion upon me andadopted me, and as I grew up I had all the rights and privileges ofher son, and rank, as you say, with the princes of Egypt. She calledme Moses; for that was the name, as it seems, that was writ upon apiece of papyrus fastened to my cradle. I was instructed in all thelearning of the Egyptians, and grew up as one of them. So I lived formany years, and had almost forgotten that I was not one of them; butnow--" And here he stopped and began thoughtfully to pace up and downthe apartment.
"What has become of the maiden of whom you spoke?" he asked, suddenlystopping before Amuba.
"That I know not, my lord. Upon the day that Ameres was murdered bythe mob his little daughter was carried off, and Ruth, for that is hername, has also been missing ever since. It is for that reason we havelingered here, otherwise we should have fled at once."
"You and the son of Ameres?"
"Yes, my lord, and another Rebu, one of my father's warriors, who wasa fellow-captive with me, and also slave of Ameres. The high priesthad great confidence in him, and committed to him the mission ofaiding Chebron to escape and of conducting us if possible back to myown land; but when we found that my young mistress was missing wedecided to remain to search for her."
"What will you do when you find her?"
"If we can rescue her from those who have carried her away we shallhand her over to her mother, and then leave the land as we hadintended. Unless, indeed, you, my lord, in your goodness, could obtainfor Chebron a pardon for an offense which was wholly accidental."
"That I can never do," Moses said. "This is wholly beyond my power;the king himself could not withstand the demand of the populace forhis life. Until lately I might have in some way aided you, but I haveno longer influence and have myself fallen into disgrace at court."
After again pacing the apartment for some time, Moses went on:
"If you find this little Israelite maiden tell her that she is not thelast of the Israelites who believes in the God of Abraham, ourancestor; tell her that Moses also holds to the faith. You again looksurprised, young man, and you may well be so, seeing that I have fromthe days of my infancy been separated from my people.
"But our priests keep accurate records of all things connected withthe countries and religion of the people with whom we come in contact.Thus, then, it was easy for me, who have access to all the stores ofknowledge, to examine the rolls recording the first coming of mypeople, the rule of Joseph, the great governor, the coming of hisrelations here and their settlement in the country. Thus I learnedthat they worshiped one God, whom they believed to be the only God,in the world. I have been interested deeply in the learning of thepriesthood, and have long seen that behind all the forms and mysteriesof the Egyptian religion this central idea seemed to be hidden. Nonewith whom I have spoken a
cknowledged boldly that it was so; but Iheard reports that Ameres was bold enough to entertain the idea thatthere was but one God, and that our far-back ancestors, who had firstworshiped him under the various attributes they ascribed to him, camein course of time to lose the truth altogether and to regard shadowsas substances. Therefore, I said to myself, I too will believe in theone God worshiped by my forefathers, hoping that in time it may bethat I may learn more of him.
"Until the last two or three years I have been content to live as oneof the Egyptian princes; but of late my heart has turned much to myoppressed people, and I have determined upon doing what I can torelieve their burden. I have even raised my voice in the council intheir favor, and this has created a coldness between the court andmyself. They consider that I, having had the honor of adoption intothe royal family, should myself forget, and allow others to forget,what they regard as my base origin. Sometimes I own that I myselfwonder that I should feel so drawn toward them, and even wish that Icould forget my origin and give my whole mind to the duties andpleasures of my present rank; but I feel moved by a spirit strongerthan my own. But we must talk no longer; I see that you are nowstronger. Do you think that you can walk?"
"Oh, yes," Amuba replied, getting up and walking across the apartment."I have not lost much blood, and was only dizzy from their blows."
"Then it is better that you should leave at once. The people from whomI snatched you will have carried the news speedily to the city, andofficials will doubtless soon arrive here to demand that you be givenup to them. Take, therefore, another draught of wine and a piece ofbread. I will then give you in charge of a trusty slave, who will leadyou through the garden and through a small door at the back, and willguide you to any spot where you may wish to go. Even now, doubtless, awatch is being kept up in the front of the house. When the officialsarrive I shall tell them the truth--that coming, as I drove, upon alad who was being attacked and murdered by a number of brutalpeasants, I carried him off in my chariot. As to the shouts I heard,that you were the slayer of the Cat of Bubastes, I regarded it as aninvention designed to hinder me from interfering on your behalf; thatI questioned you upon your arrival here, and finding that, as I hadsupposed, you were entirely innocent of the offense charged againstyou, I urged you to leave at once, letting you depart by the gardengate in order to escape the fury of your persecutors. As you are notan Israelite, no one can suppose that I could have any motive forshielding an offender from the punishment of his crimes. Do not thankme, for time presses, and you must be moving, so as to be well awaybefore it is known that you have left. May the God we both worship,though as yet in ignorance, guide and preserve you and carry you andyour friends through the dangers that beset you."
Moses drew back the curtains from before the entrance to the chamberand clapped his hands, and ordered the servant who answered the callto tell Mephres to come to him. An old slave speedily appeared, andMoses ordered him to take Amuba out by the private way and to guidehim by quiet roads back to the city. Then cutting short his guest'sexpressions of thanks for the great kindness he had rendered him, hehurried him away, for he knew that at any moment the officials mightarrive from the city.
It was well that Amuba had been supplied with a guide, for uponissuing into the night air--for by this time darkness had fallen--hefound that he could with difficulty direct his steps; his headthrobbed as if it would split from the blows that had been dealt him,and every limb ached. The old slave, however, seeing that he stumbledas he walked, placed his staff in one of Amuba's hands, and taking himfirmly by the arm led him steadily on. It seemed to the lad that hewent on walking all night, and yet it was less than an hour afterstarting when his conductor found that he could go no further, andthat he was wholly unable to answer his questions as to whither hewished to be guided. He determined to stop with him until he should beable to proceed again. He therefore led Amuba aside into an orchard,and there laid him down under the shelter of a tree, covering him withone of his own garments.
"It is well for the lad that my lord arrived just when he did," hesaid to himself as he sat down by the side of Amuba and listened tohis heavy breathing--for all in the house had heard from thecharioteer of the rescue of the lad from the hands of furiouspeasants.
"He must have been very near death when he was saved from their hands.Maxis said that his assailants shouted out that he was the slayer ofthe Cat of Bubastes about which such a turmoil has been made. Had itbeen so I do not think that my lord would have aided him thus toescape; though for my part I care not if he had killed all the cats inEgypt, seeing that in my native Libya we worship not the gods of theEgyptians."
Several times during the night the old man got up and plucked largehandfuls of grass wet with dew and placed them on Amuba's head, andwhen he perceived the first faint gleam of morning in the sky hearoused him. Amuba sat up and looked round with an air ofastonishment.
"Where am I?" he exclaimed.
"You are at present in an orchard, my young friend, though to whom itmay belong I know not; but finding that you were unable to continueyour journey I drew you aside here, and you have slept well all night,and I hope feel better for it and able to proceed."
"I remember now," Amuba said; "it seemed to me that I walked for hoursleaning on your arm."
"It was but an hour," the slave replied; "we are not yet two milesfrom my lord's house."
"And you have watched over me all night," Amuba said; "for it was, Iknow, but an hour after sunset when we started. Truly I am deeplyindebted to you for your kindness."
"Speak not of it," the old man replied. "My lord gave you into mycharge, and I cannot return until I can tell him that you are insafety. But if you are able to walk we must pass on, for there may bea search for you as soon as it is light."
"I am perfectly able to go on," Amuba said; "thanks to the wet grass Isee you have been piling round my head, the heat seems to have passedaway and the throbbing to have ceased."
Amuba was indeed now able to walk at a brisk pace.
"Which way do you want to go?" the slave asked him in a short time."It is getting light enough now for me to see your face, and it willnever do for you to meet any one. Your head is still swollen, andthere are marks of bruises and cuts all over the scalp. Yourappearance will attract attention at once, and if any saw you who hadheard of last evening's doings you would be at once suspected."
"I will make direct for the hills," Amuba said. "They are not fardistant, and I can easily conceal myself among the rocks untilsunset."
"Let us hurry on, then," the slave said; "it is but half an hour'swalk. But as we may at any moment now meet peasants going to theirwork, I will go on ahead; do you follow a hundred yards behind me. IfI see any one coming I will lift my hand above my head, and do you atonce step aside from the road into the vineyard or orchard, and liethere until they have passed."
Amuba followed these instructions, and it was more than an hour beforehe reached the foot of the hills, so often did he have to turn asideto avoid groups of peasants. At last he reached the foot of the ruggedascent. Here he took leave of his guide with many warm thanks for hiskindness and services, and with a message of gratitude to his lord.Then Amuba ascended the hill for a short distance, and laid himselfdown among some great bowlders.
Although greatly refreshed by his night's rest he was still weak andshaken, and felt altogether unequal to making his way along the hillsfor the four miles which intervened between himself and thehiding-place of his friends among the tombs above the city. He wassoon asleep again, and the sun was already some distance down the skywhen he awoke. He waited until it sank behind the brow of the hillabove him, and then climbing some distance higher made his way alongthe hillside, having little fear that his figure would be noticed nowthat the hillside was in shadow. Darkness had just fallen when hearrived at the tomb they used as their shelter. A figure was standingthere in deep shadow. As he turned the path and approached, itadvanced to meet him. Then there was a cry of joy, and Jethro sprangforward and clasped h
im in his arms.
"My dear Amuba, I never thought to see you in life again!"
A moment later Chebron ran out, and in his turn embraced Amuba.
"I shall never forgive you and I shall never forgive myself," he saidreproachfully. "What right had you to take my danger upon yourself? Itwas wrong, Amuba; and I have suffered horribly. Even though we are asbrothers, why should you sacrifice yourself for me, especially when itis my life and not yours that is forfeited? I told myself a thousandtimes last night that I was base and cowardly in allowing you andJethro to risk your lives for me, when by giving myself up the rage ofthe people will be satisfied, and you could make your way out of thisland without great danger. It was bad enough that you should share myrisk, but when it comes to your taking it all upon your shoulders thatI should escape free, I can accept such sacrifice no longer; andto-morrow I will go down and surrender myself."
Amuba was about to burst into remonstrance, when Jethro touched him asa sign to be silent. The Rebu knew how acutely Chebron had sufferedand how he had spent the night in tears and self-reproaches, and feltthat it was better to allow his present agitation to pass beforearguing with him.
"Are you hungry, Amuba?" he asked.
"That I am, Jethro. I had nothing save a mouthful of bread since ourmeal here yesterday; and you will get no news out of me until I haveeaten and drunk." A meal of cakes and cool fish and a draught of winewas soon taken; and Amuba said, "Now I will tell you all about it."
"We know the first part," Jethro said. "When I returned here yesterdayevening I found Chebron almost beside himself with anxiety. He told mehow he had been discovered by one of the slaves of Ptylus who knew himby sight; how you had attacked the slave, rescued him from his hands,and then joined him in his flight; how you insisted that you shouldseparate; and how the pursuers had all followed on your track, leavinghim to return here unmolested. He had been here upward of two hourswhen I arrived, and as the time had passed on without your return hehad become more and more anxious. Of course I at once started out togather news, and had the greatest difficulty in persuading him toremain here, for he scorned the idea of danger to himself from thesearch which would be sure to be again actively set on foot. However,as I pointed out it was necessary that if you returned you should findsomebody here, he at last agreed to remain.
"When I got into the town I found the whole city in the streets. Thenews had come that the slayers of the cat had been discovered; thatone had escaped, but that the other had been overtaken after a longchase; and that he had been set upon and would have been slain, as hewell deserved, had not one of the princes of the royal house arrivedand carried him off in his chariot. This news excited the greatestsurprise and indignation, and two officers of the city had gone out tothe prince's mansion, which was six miles away from the city, to claimthe fugitive and bring him to the town, when he would be at oncedelivered to the just anger of the populace.
"As soon as I learned this I started out along the road by which theywould return, and hurried on past the people already gathered there. Ihad brought my sword with me, and my intention was that as the chariotreturned with you I would leap upon it, surprise and slay theofficials, and drive off with you; for I knew you would be able totake no part in making the escape, as I had heard that you werealready insensible when carried off in the chariot. There were groupsof people all along the road with torches, but I thought that a suddensurprise would probably be successful.
"At last I heard the chariot approaching. It was being driven moreslowly than I had expected. As it came to a large group of people somedistance ahead of me it stopped for a moment, and the officialaddressed the people. There was no shout or sound of exultation, and Ifelt convinced at once that either upon their arrival they had foundthat you were already dead, or that in some miraculous way you hadescaped. I therefore hurried back to the next group. When the chariotcame up there was a shout of, 'What is the news? Where is themalefactor?' The officials checked their horses and replied: 'Amistake has been made. The prince assures us that the lad was a poorslave and wholly innocent of this affair. He has satisfied himselfthat in their jealousy for the honor of the gods the peasants whoattacked the lad committed a grievous wrong and fell upon a whollyinnocent person. After assuring himself of this he had had his woundsbound up and suffered him to depart. The prince intends to lay acomplaint before the council against the persons who have cruellymaltreated and nearly murdered an innocent person, who, he stated,interfered in the matter because he saw a slave attacking a young lad,and who fled fearing trouble because of the punishment he hadinflicted upon the aggressor.'
"The announcement was received in silence; but when the chariot haddriven on again there was much murmuring. This account had certainlythe appearance of truth; for it was already known by the narrative ofthe slave who recognized Chebron that the person who rescued him was ayouth and a stranger to him, and that it was this youth who had beenpursued while Chebron himself had escaped. Still there was murmuringthat the prince should in so important a matter have suffered theyouth to depart without a more searching examination. Some said thateven if the boy's story was true he deserved punishment for attackingthe slave who had arrested Chebron, while others said that as he hadcertainly been beaten almost to death, he had been punishedsufficiently. All agreed that no doubt the whole affair would beinvestigated.
"I hurried back again with the news, and all night we watched for you,and when morning came without your arrival we were almost as anxiousas before, fearing that you had been too badly injured to rejoin us,and that to-day you would almost certainly be recaptured. As thesearch for Chebron would assuredly be actively carried out, I insistedon his remaining quiet here while I made frequent journeys down to thecity for news; but beyond the certainty that you had not beenrecaptured, although a diligent search had been made for you as wellas for Chebron, I learned nothing. Now, Amuba, I have relieved you ofthe necessity for much talk; you have only to fill in the gaps of thestory and to tell us how it was that you persuaded this Egyptianprince of your innocence."
"It is rather a long story, Jethro; but now that I have had a meal Ifeel strong enough to talk all night, for I have had nearlytwenty-four hours' sleep. First, I will tell Chebron that when I tookthe pursuers off his track I had no idea of sacrificing myself, for Imade sure that I should be able to outrun them, and I should have doneso easily had it not been for fresh people constantly taking up thepursuit and at last running me down."
Amuba then related the whole story of his flight, his attack withthe peasants and his rescue, and then recited the whole of hisconversation with his rescuer and his proceedings after leaving hishouse. "So you see," he concluded, "that strangely enough it was theteaching of your father, Chebron, and the tale that Ruth told us, andthat her grandfather before told you, of the God of their forefathers,that saved my life. Had it not been that this prince of Israelitishbirth also believed in one God, it could hardly be that he would havesaved me from the vengeance of the people, for as he says he is indisfavor with the king, and his conduct in allowing me to go freemerely on my own assertion of my innocence is likely to do him furtherharm. This he would assuredly never have risked had it not been forthe tie between us of a common faith in one great God."
"It is a strange story," Jethro said when Amuba brought his narrativeto a conclusion, "and you have had a marvelous escape. Had it not beenfor the arrival of this prince upon the spot at the very moment youmust have been killed. Had he not have been of a compassionate naturehe would never, in the first place, have interfered on your behalf;and had it not been for your common faith, he would have held youuntil the officials arrived to claim you. Then, too, you werefortunate, indeed, in the kindness of your guide; for evidently had itnot been for your long rest, and the steps he took to reduce the heatof your wounds, you must have fallen into the hands of the searchersthis morning. Above all, I consider it extraordinary that you shouldat the critical moment have been rescued by perhaps the one man inEgypt who would have had the will
and the courage to save you."
Upon the following morning Jethro and Amuba succeeded with somedifficulty in dissuading Chebron from his determination to givehimself up, the argument that had the most powerful effect being thatby so doing he would be disobeying the last orders of his father. Itwas resolved that in future as a better disguise he should be attiredas a woman, and that the watch upon the house of Ptylus should berecommenced; but that they should station themselves further away. Itwas thought, indeed, that the search in that neighborhood was likelyto be less rigorous than elsewhere, as it would not be thoughtprobable that the fugitives would return to a spot where they had beenrecognized. Amuba's disguise was completely altered. He was still inthe dress of a peasant, but, by means of pigments obtained fromChigron, Jethro so transformed him as to give him, to a casualobserver, the appearance of advanced years.
They had had a long discussion as to the plan they would adopt, Amubaand Jethro wishing Chebron to leave the watching entirely to them. Butthis he would not hear of, saying that he was confident that, in hisdisguise as a woman, no one would know him.
"We must find out which way he goes, to begin with," he said. "Afterthat none of us need go near the house. I will buy a basket and someflowers from one of the peasant women who bring them in, and will takemy seat near the gate. By three o'clock Plexo will have finished hisoffices in the temple, and may set out half an hour later. I shall seeat least which road he takes. Then, when you join me at dusk, one ofyou can walk a mile or two along the road; the other twice as far. Weshall then see when he returns whether he has followed the road anyconsiderable distance or has turned off by any crossroads, and canpost ourselves on the following day so as to find out more."
"The plan is a very good one, Chebron, and we will follow it. Once weget upon his trail I will guarantee that it will not be long before wetrace him to his goal."
Accordingly that afternoon Chebron, dressed as a peasant woman, tookhis seat with a basket of flowers fifty yards from the entrance to thehouse of Ptylus. At about the time he expected Plexo and his fatherreturned together from the temple. Half an hour later a light chariotwith two horses issued from the gate. Plexo was driving and anattendant stood beside him. Chebron felt sure that if Plexo was goingto visit Mysa he would take the road leading into the country, and thepost he had taken up commanded a view of the point where the roaddivided into three--one running straight north along the middle of thevalley, while the others bore right and left until one fell into thegreat road near the river, the other into that on the side of thevalley near the hills. It was this last that Plexo took; and althoughhe might be going to visit acquaintances living in the many villasscattered for miles and miles along the roadside, Chebron felt astrong hope that he was going to Mysa's hiding-place. As soon as itwas dark he was joined by Jethro and Amuba.
"He started at three o'clock!" Chebron exclaimed as they came up tohim, "and took the road leading to the foot of the hills."
"We will go on there at once," Jethro said. "He may return beforelong, and we must hurry. Do you walk quietly on, Chebron, and stop atthe point where the road ahead runs into the main road. Amuba shallstop two miles further; I will go two miles further still. If he comesalong the road past me we will begin at that point to-morrow."
Jethro had but just reached the spot at which he proposed to wait whenhe heard the sound of wheels approaching, and a minute later thechariot drove along. The moon was not up, but the night was clear andbright; and, advancing as close he could to the passing chariot, hewas able to recognize Plexo. The latter gave an angry exclamation ashis horses shied at the figure which had suddenly presented itself,and gave a cut with his whip at Jethro. A minute later the chariot haddisappeared and Jethro returned toward the city, picking up on his wayAmuba and Chebron.
The next night Amuba took up his station a mile beyond the spot atwhich Jethro had seen the chariot, Jethro another mile ahead, whileChebron watched the crossroads near the town; but this time it did notcome along, although Chebron had seen him start the same hour asbefore.
"I hardly expected to see him to-night," Jethro said when he joinedthe others after fruitlessly waiting for three hours. "He will hardlybe likely to visit her two days in succession. He will be more likelyto leave her for a week to meditate on the hopelessness of refusing topurchase her liberty at the price of accepting him as her husband.Doubtless he has to-day merely paid a visit to some friends."
It was not, indeed, until the fourth night of waiting that Plexo camealong. This time he did not pass Jethro at all, and it was thereforecertain that he had turned off from the main road either to the rightor left at some point between the post of Jethro and that of Amuba.When this was determined they agreed, after a consultation, not toreturn to their hiding-places near Thebes that night, but to lie downunder some trees by the roadside until morning broke, and then toexamine the road carefully. It was not likely that another chariotwould pass before morning, and they might be able to follow the tracksalong the dusty road.
In this way they discovered the road where he had turned off; butbeyond this the tracks did not show, as the road was hard and almostfree from dust. It lay, as they expected, toward the hills; but therewere so many country mansions of the wealthy classes dotted about, andso many crossroads leading to these and to the farmhouses of thecultivators, that they felt they were still far from attaining theobject of their search.
After some discussion it was agreed that they should ascend the hillsand remain there during the day, and that Jethro should return to thetown as soon as it became dark to obtain a store of provisionssufficient to last them for a week. This was done, and the next daythey separated at dawn and took up their places on the hills at adistance of about a mile apart, choosing spots where they commanded aview over the valley, and arranging to meet at a central point whennight came on.