Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01

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screened his face and persons from the eyes
of the prisoners if their cries OF HALL" had
not been so loud as to rouse him and cause
him to turn his head toward them. But the
gracious wave of his hand showed that he
had something else in his mind than Grim
inaIs. and before the voices of the hapless
convicts had died away his eyes were closed
once more.
Epbraim's dull brooding had given way
to eager interest, and when the Kings gilt
chariot came past empty, drawn by the most
splendid horses he had ever beheld, he broke
ont in admiration. Those noble beasts,
their clever heads crowned with ostrich
nlumes. and their harness glittering with
gold and precious stones, were indeed
Sight to see. The large gold quivers, studded
with emeralds, at the sides of the chariot,
were full of arrows. The sleeping man,
whose feeble hand held the reins of govern
ment of a great nation, the languid idler
who Stunned every sort of effort recovered
his energies as soon as he was In the hunt
| ing field, and he looked upon this expedi-
ton as hunt on a grand scale; and, mas
mueh as It seemed to him Q royal sport to
shoot his arrows at men instead of at brute
| pame-at men, too of whom he had but
lately been in mortal dread-he had yielded
to the high priests behest and come with
the army. The expedition had been sent
forth by order of Anon, so he could
now have no further cause to fear the power
of Mesu. When he should catch him he
would make him repent of having struck
terror to the heart of Pharaoh and his
Queen. and causing them to shed so many
| tearsl
While Joshua was telling the youth from
what Phenician city the gilt chariot had
been brought, he suddenly felt his wrist
clutched by Ephraim, and heard him ex-
claim, "She-she-look, it is shei"
The lad was crimson with blushes, nor
| was he mistaken, for there, in the same
travelling chariot in which she had come to
visit the prisoners, was Kasana, and many
ladies besides formed part of the court ac-
companying the expedition, which the cap
tain of the foot soldiers, a brave old iron
| eater of the time of the Great Rameses,
called mere party of pleasure. When the
monarch went forth across the desert to do
battle in Syria, LibYs and Ethiopia, only
| select party of women accompanied him, in
| curtained vehicles, under the conduct of
eunuchs; but on this occasion, though the
| Queen had remained at home, Bales wife
| and some other women of rank had set the
example of going forth with the troops and
it had been a tempting opportunity to many
to enjoy the excitement of war without rum
ming into danger.
4
prised her old friend, the high priests wife,
by joining the rest, for only yesterday moth
| ing could persuade the young widow to go
| forth with the host. Yielding to a sudden
| impulse, without asking her father, and
with so little prepala alton that she had not
the most necessary gear, she had overtaken
the army, and it seemed as though the mag
net which had drawn her was a man whom
she had hitherto avoided, albeit he was no
less a parsonage than Siptah, the Kings
nephew.
As the cortege passed the sand hill the
Prince was standing by the fair young wo-
man in her waiting woman's place, and in
terpreting to her with many jest the SYM
bolism of the flowers IN a nosegay, while
Kasana declared it could not have been in
| tended for her, as not more than an hour
since she had no idea of following the expe-
| dition. Siptah, however, assured her that
| even at sunrise the Hathors had revealed to
him the happiness that was in store for him,
and that the Interpretation of these flowers
proved it. A party of youthful courtiers,
who had quilted their chariots or htters,
were walking by the side of her carriage and
taking part in the laughter and merry talk;
the high priests wife also put in word
now and again, tor her litter was borne close
by Kasana.
| All this had not escaped Joshua; and as
! he saw Kasana with the Prince, whom she
had hitherto detested, rapping his hand
with her fan with gay audacity, his brow
darkened, and he asked himself whether the
Young widow had not been cruelty mocking
| him in his overthrow. But at this moment
the driver of the prison gang caught sight of
the curl on Siptah's temple, which he wore
as badge of the blood royal, and his loud
CRY of "HailI Hailr' in which the other
guards and the prisoners Joined, attracted
| the attention of Kasana and her companion.
They turned to look at the tamarisk thicket
| whence it came, and then Joshua could see
that the young woman turned pale, and,
with hasty gesture, pointed to the group.
She must have given Siptah some behest,
for the Prince at first shrugged his
shoulders, but, after some delay and argu-
ment, half in jest and half in earnest, he
sprang from his chariot and beckoned the
driver of theIgang.
"Did these people gaze ON the coun-
tenance of the kind God, the Lord of both
worlds?" he asked in a voice so loud that
Kasana must have heard him from the road;
and when he received hesitating answer
he went on in naughty tones: "No matter.
| At any rate they have seen mine and that
OF the fairest women, and if, by reason of
| that, they hope for mercy they are justified.
You know who 1 am. Those who are
chained together are to be relieved of their
ankle-fetters;' then signing to the head
| jailer he whispered in his ear: "but you
must keep your eyes open all the wider.
That fellow close to the bush is that Hosea
who was q captain in Pharaoh's army.
When am at home again come and tell me
what has become of the man. The more
completely you can quiet him the deeper
shall I dip into my money-bag. Do you
understand"
The man bowed low and thought to him.
self: 81 will take good care, my Prince, and
see that no one takes the lite OF any of my
moIes. The greater these lords, the stranger
and more bloody are their demands. How
many an one has come to me with similar
request Siptah can release the feet of these
poor wretches, but he would load my soul
with a cowardly murder! But he has come
to the wrong mani Here, you fellows,
bring the bag of tools this way and strike
the chains off these mems ankles"
Pharaoh's host moved on, and meanwhile
the grinding of files was heard on the hill
lock, the prisoners were freed from their
letters, and then for security their arms
were tied.
Kasana had desired Prince Siptah to have
the Door creatures who were being led away
to misery, relieved at any rate of their heavy
footchains; and she frankly confessed that
it was intolelable to her to see an officer who
had so often been guest In her own house,
so terribly humiliated. The high priests
wife had seconded her wish, and the Prince
had been forced to yield. Joshua knew full
we'll to whom he and Ephraim owed this
respite, and received it with thankful glad
ness. Walking was made easier to him, but
anxiety weighed him down more heavily
than ever.
III oh bad mo orobod poef ,rar15