Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-16
CHAPTER XVIII.
"The Pharaoh Drew Nigh"

In mid-afternoon of the following day
Kenkenes awoke and made ready to take
up his search again. He was weary. list
less and sore. but his mission urged him as
II death threatened him.
At sunset he was again upon the way,
taking the level highway of the Wady
Toomilat for a mile toward the west. and
turning SOUTH after that distance. as the
rustic had directed him.
The road was good and he ran with old
time ease At midnight he came upon the
spot where the army had camped, but the
Pharaoh had already moved against Israel.
He had left his track. The great belt of
disturbed earth wheeled to the south. and
as far as Kenkenes could see there was the
same luminous veil of dust overhanging 1t,
that he had noted over the path of Israel
In the early hour of the morning Ken
kenes emerged from high-walled valley
with battlemented submits. Before him
was the army encamped kenkenes ap-
preached it, dropping with WEAKNESS, and
after time was passed through the lines
and conducted to the headquarters of the
king. About the royal pavilion In triple
Gordon paced the noble bodyguard of the
Pharaoh.
OF one of these Kenkenes asked that a
personal attendant of the king be sent to
him.
In little time some one emerged from
the Pharaoh's tent and came through the
guard line to the messenger. 1t was
Nechutes.
"Nechutes," Kenkenes said in strained
voice, thou and 1 art friends; lead me to
the king, l pray thee"
ITO the king?' the cup-bearer repeated
doubtfully. The king sleeps. WIN thine
interests go to wreck If thou oldest TIL
dawn"
II carry him a message" Kenkenes ex-
planned. Hand hither torch
In the wavering light of the fiambeau.
Nechutes read the address on the linen
scroll
1.-THE king could not read by the night
lights" he said after a. little.
where Is Har-hat?"
'In his tent yonder, pointing to party
colored pavilion.
Let the unhappy king sleep. then.
Nechutes: far be it from me to bring him
back to the memory of his sorrows. Lead
me to thy shelter, If thou wilt
With satisfaction in his manner Nechutes
conducted his guest into comfortably FUR
nished tent, and showed him mattress
overiaid with sheeting of fine linen.
At the first glimmerings of the dawn, the
melody of many winded trumpets arose
over the encampment of the egyptians.
Now the notes were near and clear now
afar and tremulous; again, deep and sonor-
Gus; now, full and rich, and yet again, hne
and sweet.
While the army broke its fast and pre-
pared to move, the king stood in the open
east. The Red sea lay there beyond the up
lifted line of desert sand. and 1t was the
birthplace of many mists and unpropitious
signs. ,
a veil, or openly? Would he smile upon the
purposes of the Pharaoh?
There were situations, watery and color
less in the lower slopes of the morning
of dawn without it's hues. Long wind
blown streaks crossed the zenith from east
to west and the setting stars were blurred.
The moon had worn a narrowing clrclet III
faI, CHI
Suddenly some one in the ranks of the
royal guard exclaimed to mate:
Look! Look to the southeast!
Meneptah turned his eyes In that oiIec-
ton. as though he had been commanded.
There above the spot where he had guessed
the Israelites to be, a straight and mighty
column of vapor extended up, up into the
smoky blue of the SKY. Inc tortuous
shapes OF the situations across the zenith
indicated that there was great wind at that
height, but the column did not move or
change its FORM 1t was further olsth-
gushed from the clouds over the dawn, py
a fine amber light upon it, deepening to
gold in its shadows. So vivid the tint, that
steady contemplation was necessary 10 as
sure the beholders that 1t was not nre,
climbing in and out of the pillars heart
Egypt's skies were rarely ciouded ana
never by such formation as this
Meneptah turned his troubled eyes hur-
riedly toward the east. He must not miss
the sunrise. At that moment unheralded,
the disk of the sun shot above the horizon
as If blown from crater of the under
world-blurred, milky-Whlte, without
warmth.
bending before him; behind the cup-bearer,
a stately Observation-Disclosures.
At sign from the king, the messenger
came forward, knelt and delivered the
scroll.
what is contained herein?'
Kenkenes took it that the inquiry called
for an answer
"a warning, 0 King
AS if to delay the reading Of 1t. the king
dismissed Nechutes and signed Kenkenes
to arise Then he turned the scroll over
and over in his hands inspecting it.
Come" he exclaimed as If an Idea had
struck him, do thou open IT.;
Kenkenes took the scroll thrust toward
him, and ripped off the linen wrapping.
Unrolling the writing he extended 1t to the
king.
ewes are dim of late" he added APOLOGIZE
cally.
nhasis or infection. for he knew no ex-
preston was needed to convey the force
of the message to the already fntimtdated
king.
was standing very close to him, as If as
sured of shelter in the heroic shadow of the
tall young messenger. The color had re-
coded from the monarch's face, and his
eyes had widened till the white was visible
all around the iris
mot enough that mine enemies menace
me, but mine own must stab me in my
straits. Not even Is the identity of mine
assassin revealed, and there is none on
whom I may call with safety and ask pro-
lection
Nay. nay, Beloved of Ptah,' Kenkenes
Interrupted. There be true men among
thy courtiers."
mot one-not one whom I may trust"
Meneptah declared Historically.
r
"Who art thou?' demanded the king
'Keukenes, the son of Mentu, thy archi-
tect."
"It cannot be- the king declared with
suspicion In his eye. HE had but one son.
and he must be dead with the first born"
May; l was in the land of Goshen. the
night of death, and the God of Israel
spared me- Being of the house of Mentu.
thou hast no fear of my steadfastness,
o my sovereign
Nay; would that l might be as trustful
of all my ministers. Alas, that a single
traitor should lay the stain of unfaith upon
all the court! All, who is mine enemy?"
The sentence, more explanatory than
questioning, seemed to the young man like
The king. with his eyes upon the young
mans countenance, caught the change of
expression.
Speak" he cried violently. Thou
knOwest; thou knowest!''
A sudden ebullition of rage and vengeance
sent tingling current through the young