Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-02-13

waters edge, not knowing that there was
a lion nigh (and, indeed, the lions for the
most part are not found in the titled land,
but rather in the desert and the Libyan
Mountains), and from distance had seen
that which have set down. Now, when
she came near she knew me for Harmachis,
and, bending herself she made obelsance to
me, and saluted me, calling me Royal, and
worthy of all honor, and beloved and chosen
of the Holy Three, ay, and even by the
name of the Pharaoh the Deliverer!
But I, thinkinS that terror had made her
sick of mind, asked of her what she would
speak.
'Is it great thing" I asked, s'that I
should slay lion! Is it matter worthy
of such talk as thine? There live, and have
lived, men who have slain many lions. Did
not the Divine Tahutimes the Osirian slay
with his own hand more than two hundred
lionsl Is it not written on the tablet that
is between the paws of the living Koremku
(the Sphinx that is set beyond Memfi,
nigh to the seven pyramids, that he slew
lions aforetime? And have not others done
likewises Why, then, speakest thou thus,
0 foolish woman!'
All of which I said because, having now
slain the lion, I was minded, after the man
ner of youth, to hold it as a thing of no &C
count. But she ceased not to make obei-
sance and to call me by names that are too
high even to be written.
80 Royal OneG' she cried, "wisely did
thy mother prophecy. Surely the Holy
Spirit, the Knepth, was In her. o thou
conceived by a god! See the omen. The
lion there-he growls within the Capitol at
Rome; and the dead man, he is the Ptolemy
the Macedonian spawn that, like a for
eign weed, hath overgrown the land of
Nile; with the Macedonian Lagidae shalt
thou go to smite the Lion of Rome. And
the Macedonian cur shall fly, and the lion
shall strike him down, and thou shalt strike
down the hon, and the land of Khem shall
once more be free! free! freei Keep thy
self but pure, according to the command
ment Of the gods, o son Of the, Royal
Housei 0 hope Of Khem! be but
ware of Woman the Destroyer, and
as L have said, so shall it be.
Poor am / and wretched; yea, stricken
with sorrow. have sinned in speaking of
that which should be hid, and for my sin
have I paid in the coin of that which was
born of my womb; willingly have paid
for thee. But have still of the wisdom Of
our people, nor do the gods, in whose eyes
all are equal, turn their countenances from
the poor. The Divine Mother 1sis) hath
spoken to me-but last night she spal1e-
bidding me come hithcr to gather herbs,
and read to thee the signs that should see.
And as have said, so shall it come TO pass,
If thou canst but endure the weight of the
great temptation. Come hither, Royal One ~
and she led me to the edge of the canal
where the water was deep and still and
blue. "Now gaze upon that face as the
water throws it back. Is not that brow
fitted to bear the double crown? Do not
those gentle eyes mirror the perfect
majesty Of kingss Hath not the Ptah, the
Creator, fashioned that form to fit the i'm
perial garb, and awe the glance of multi
tudes looking through thee to God?
'Nay, nay" shc went on in another voice
"a shrill old wife's voice-"I WILDE not SO
foolish, boy-the scratch of lion is VEN
omous thing, a terrible thing; yea, as bad as
the bite of an asp-it must be treated, or else
it will tester, and all thy days shalt thou
dream Of hons: ay, and snakes; and,
also, it will break out in sores. But know
of it, know. 1 am not crazed for nothing.
For mark, every thing has its balarce-in
madness is much wisdom, and in wisdom
much madness. La! IA! lal Pharaoh him
self can't say where that one begins and
the other ends. Now, don't stand gazing
there, looking as silly as a cat in a crocus-
colored robe; but just let me stick these
green things on the place, and in six days
you'll heal up as white as a three-year
child. Never mind the smart of it, lad.
By Him who sleeps at Philse, or at Abou-
this, or at Abydos-as our Divine masters
have it now-or wherever he does sleep,
which is thing we shall find out before
we want toby Osiris, say you'll live to
be as clean from scars as a sacrifice to Isis
at the new moon, if you'll but let me put it
on.
''Is it not so, my good folks" and she
turned to address some people who had, I'M
seen by me, assembled while she prophe-
sled. ''I've been speaking spell over him,
just to make way for the virtue of my
medicine-lal la! there's nothing like
ho1. ~
me the next time your wives are barren;
it's better than scraping every pillar in the
Temple of Osiris, I warrant. I'll make ,em
bear like a twenty-year- old palm. But then,
you see, you must know what to say-that's
the point-every thing comes to point at
last. La! lap
Now, when heard all this, I, Harmachis,
put my hand to my head, not knowing if l
dreamed. But presently looking up, I saw
a gray-haired man among those who were
gathered together, who watched US sharply,
and afterward learned that this man was
the spy of Ptolemy, yea, the very man who
had well-nigh caused me to be slain of
Pharaoh when / was IN my cradle. And
then understood why Atoua spoke so fool
ishly.
''Thine are strange spells, old wife," he
said. Thou didst speak of Pharaoh and
the double crown and of q form fashioned
by Ptah to bear it; is it not sos''
"Yea, yea-part of the spell, thou fool;
and what can one swear by better nova
days than by the divine Pharaoh, the Piper,
whom and whose music may the gods pre-
serve to charm this happy landa What bet
ter than by the double crown he wears.
grace to great Alexander OF Macedonia? By
the way, you know about every thing. Have
they got back his chlamys yet, which NTH
ridates took to Coss Pompey wore it last,
didn't he3 In his triumph, too. Just fancy
Pompey in the cloak of Alexander-a puppy
dog in lions skin. And talking of lions,
look what this lad hath done-slain q lion
with his own spear, and right glad you vii
lage folks should be to see it, for it was q
very fierce lion. just see the teeth and
claws His claws! They are enough to
make poor silly old woman like me shrek
to look at them. And the body there, the
dead body, the lion slew it. Alack, he's an
Osiris now, the body. And to think of it,
but half an hour ago he was an everyday
mortal like you or me. Well, away with
him to the embalmers. He'll soon swell in
the sun and burst, and that will save
them the trouble Of cutting him open.