The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-06-09 00:00:00

PHAEADIUNECHO, KING OF EGYPT.
now A cora.nc W.

Followed by the guard, Pbaraob-Necho advanced
with haste to the apartment in which he had left the
severed trunk of Aphaenaa, the treasurer. The officers
and attendants muck wondered at tba sight which
presented itself —a pool of coagulated blood spread upon
the pavement—but neither head nor trunk of the de-
capitated treasurer was there. rharaoh-Necho stood
fretted in amassment ; at that moment he cast his eyes
to • distant part of the chamber, there lay Clutpla
weltering in his blood. The king's astonishment was
bxundiem— he had found the impression of his signet
upon the outer door precisely as he had left then the
preoeding day. The ring had not been off his finger
from the moment be had sealed the lock of the entrance
—all the other doors had been unlocked in his
and he had retained the keys which he had tars?
the defunct treasurer in his own posemion, until they
were used for the purpose of the prevent entry of the
monarch and his guards. The surprise of the onions
and attendants was equal to that of their prince. He
directed that the body of Cueph should be left where it
was until he determined with his council what course
should be pursued to unravel the mystery. He win
had all the doors in the passage of exit carefully locked,
and after himself locking the outer door, he placed his
seal upon it in three plasma, and with thoughts utterly
confounded by **strange adventure which had befallen
his page, he slowly retired to his palace, keeping in big
possession all the Ithy•
Early in the morning Pharaoh-Noche assembled the
saga of his council ; Apophiss, the high-presto: Se=
was snunmened to attend. Now Apophis was sup
to be gifted with communications from the divinity of
the temple, but none had been made in solution of the
mystery which veiled all the transactions which had
lately caused such disthrbanee to Fharsob.Necho. The
whole council wag commanded to attend the sovereign
to the chamber in which lay the body of tbe slain
Cosph. TLe party, attended by the priniipal officers of
the household, went to the temple of Serape, the three
inthresaions of the royal signet were untouched, all the
doors were locked as they were left on the preceding
day. They were successively opened, and the king and
his domicil pnweeded to the place where the page was
murdered. Pharsob-Netho advanced, and suddenly
stopped. The body of the murdered page had been re-
moved, his blood in a copious pool alone marked the
spot where he had been seen by the king and his officers
on the proven, day.
Pharaoh-Necho, bewildered by this mysterious sub.
traction of the second dead body left in the treasury,
withdrew with his council aside, the whole affair was
involved in impenetrable obscurity; the disappearance
of the two bodies, on two saceessive nights, appeared
supernatural. The astonishment of the whole conned
was not kw than that of their prince- Apophis, the
high priest of the temple of Serape, addressed Pharaoh-
Necho. . . .

"Lord of Sty*, the removal of the bodies of
Aphaenu the king's treasurer, and of Coeph the pegs,
can only be the werk of Zaraotb, the evil demon of
Eppt."
" What bad Zenoth tbe demon to do with the golden
vessel embossed with emeralds, the grand trophy from
the temple of Jerusalem," retorted the enraged monarah,
" Did Zanotti take the vessel for kis r
The counsel looked at each other in amazement for
Pharaoh -Noche, naturally suspicious, bad mot explained
to any one the depredations that had been committed,
nor his suspicions of Aplissinas the late treasurer, nor
the fee of his having sacrificed his airier to those sus-
picions; the politic monarch hoped to extract some
views from his council which might direct his aim to
the party engaged in the mysterious transactions.
"My lord, replied Apophis " the mineral of any of
the king's treasures is a matter now only made known
by my lord to his servants; Zaraoth, the evil demon, bath
disturbed the peace of our lord; but we hole to devise
means for the discovery of these things."
"I will devise the means, and discover the robbers."
exclaimed the excited monarch, his Axed eye glaring
wildly upon Apophis, " spite of Zarsoth and his derk
powers. Let the council depart, and do thee go hem
to thy plass."
The suspicions of Ph araoh •Neoho were now transferred
from his We treasurer to Apophis. The hint had "
indistinct surmise of the possibility of • counterpart d
his signet being in the hands of this high priest • bat
how could he have possessed himself of such an instru-
ment, and of the keys of the treasury
Apophis and the rostioll retired, leaving the kihgln
this confusion of perplexed events and iinsca.
PharaokNocho ordered the *Seen and ettendants to ,
knee the treasury ; he alone retained Coarth, the captain
of his body guard. Now Phenols-Noche conlided
greatly in the judgment and devotion of Curtis ; to him
be mounted the whole of the events which had ended
In the mysteries' subtraction of the bodies of Aphatmas
and Coeph, and expressed his suspicions that Apophis
and the Outs A the temple of Bemis were contused
in the plotting, and suryM on of the whole offsir.—
After a long ceusehrtists It was agreed that Clunk
should immediately several snares to be made
of • pomade' ',bk.& was determined upon;
they were to be of strength snacilent to retain the
strongest men and were to be *owl amidst the prin.
sled Messrs; in the several apartnewaSe. Pharaoh-
Neosho and Orr* then relined from the freasary, maw

1 fatly leads( ell the done of titesEr to tho VIL.
Upon the ester dose the king enotlierr en
the oeeepeeltion instead el the beim need, eat
retired to hie pakten

1
In a few dais Coarth, the captaln of
pteinv kot
caused the snares to be prepared; end who.
.00m led by casoMmeliad,
end a few cams upon Whom
d.penäce could be proceeded to the illalntl,
to set them. The upon the door, and all Una
were in the date in which they
_were loft by the
His astonishment was again mdted—the pads.
a Beal, from the prat tan& of Ohmehood& bad
&appeared from its plate ; no tram of It emu ha
found. It was a trophy of inestimahle calm, Alm
horasum sapphires formed its eyes, and Ur head.
encircled with a splendid diadem of rubies and
The rage of Tbarcah-Necho knew no bounds.

" OM-rth," cried tbe furious monarelt, " eni the
belY mad, march them into the temple et derapb, Mkt
Put hpophis and evay pried to the sword they abate
could measp them and the aarryind dt
the bodies of Aphawas and
" Will nm lard flu Iriag be phased to wait the Matt
of our Prmantitals_ before we pressed this r aid
the eaotiou• 'Arra ; be knew that the slaying ar the
Eriieseirte arid emu: aft illielleiate revolt of the people.
" Shall forthwith be carkirmaucad.* eadeimed Pbareeit-
Nacho, drawing his sword. " I will brad my pare, and
ezemit. my just rendeenus the traitorous band r
Cuarth seised him nnor. mierdana, and &ma
heldmu It at the wrist—" Let the
pareani, at slay him; if • heir of 4litrrde be
touched, the city ol Maniphni rim
kinee arcuate shell not prevail. lot tshinVekst
done, art the snares, and no cloak the Icing
rphis sad hie abetters, and my lord shartheolpese
Pjl szeoute his just ampasnee, and ha awed
fromreebuks."
Dining this addrem PhanielwNeeho had rearmed his
reams, arid replied, "Ceara, thou judgeat rightly, to
it as thou bee said; but take care that the prim* be
not informed of our pie.; they will surely Mobiles ft.'
"I will he anewinubie, rejoined the captain at the
Luard, for all the allow end men I hare employed.
The mares his, beau aeon* prepared at a odisleaim
Irons Memphis, wad they ere Weight into ft. trwassrf
in closed chests, se valuable spoils to be deposited hem"
Pharaoh-Noche was pacified, and proceeded Irk%
Cliarth, sod the capers, to set the moms about the
principal treasures. The party thee retired, and every
door was secured with the same eiresierpmtko no
before. The entrance door in the temple was span
mode ash with the king's seaL

Pbaraoh-Necho peeped the night in rail/sum and
anxiety. Upon reflection he felt the danger of punish-
ing the Fiesta oply, even if he caught them In his
snares, and revolved many a aheme for destroying
them clandestinely. Early in the morning he sum-
moned Cnarth, and the officers who were intruded
with the scheme to take the robbers, to attend him to
the treasury. All the fastenings were right, the
party opened the sneenisive doors, and advanced.
They carefully took up the mares a the several &pad.
mute as they proceeded, no Apepble nor other prink
was token; no appearance of en* showed, all we. hit
In the same mystery which had involved the affair from
the 0011111111120,1011 Ck bet suddenly it berme IWO pa%
pledge. In actinides the marsh Ins distant ehaniber
near the wall Cough discovered in • wan whist' bed
sprung the beadles body of a man. Tbitn of the
guard celled alo aed for aid, be thought of bid on
ambush, and drew hie sword to be prepared for amp
event. Pharaoh-Nacho and the officers arrived in bailie
at the spot, nothing met their eye or ear that scsidd
account for the wonderful sight before them, they
trudged at the continued mystery which hung ens the
entire affair.

(To be continued.)