Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1906-01-04
CHAPTER NVTII.
THE PLAQUES.

| THE PLAQUES.
t TaHE court was gone, and MASH
nath was making the most OF
/ each day OF her freedom
/ ~ Memphis was; in Il state Of
apathy, worn out by reveI and emp
! re1 of her llI1ninaries. Ta-meri, iltoy-
lc:,red with the Importance OF her posi-
! uon is lady In waiting to the queen,
had departed with her husband. the
t cuphearer- 10 had returned to her
| home IN On with an ache in her brave
little heart that outweighed even Masa-
! Mathis tor heaviness. The last of Sc
| It's loverlille behavior toward her dat
Ell back to Il time before the court had
gone to rhebes-long, long ago.
/ Ta-user also had gone. but the fan
| bearers laughter did not regret her.
! The other ladies' who remained in
I Memphis, frightened at the luftiness
OF Masanatil's future, were uneasy in
| her presence and seemed more inclined
| to bend the knee before her than to
continue the girlish companionship
that had once been between them,
| It was now the middle of June, the
height Of Egyptian summer. In lit
tie space the marshes. which had been
! for eight months favorite haunts of
/ fowlers,, would be submerged, for the
| humiliation was not far away.
| Masanatf would hunt for wild duck
md marsh hen while there WIS vet
time,
/ It WAS IN hour after sunrise. Her
raft. built of papyrus. was boat shaped
and graceful as swan Pepi was at
| the long handled sweep in the stern.
/ Masanath sat In the middle, which
was heaped with nets. throw sticks
and bows and arrows. A pair OF de-
coy birds, tame and unfetrereI, stood
near her. craning their small heads.
puzzled at the movement Of the boat.
which was undecipherable, since they
| were moth,nless., Mari sat in the prov,
her hands folded, her face quite ex-
| pressionless. The service Of the day
was out ct the routine, but Us q good
servant she was capable OF adapting
herself to the change.
|. "a pest on the banr' Masanath ex-
claimed. Look at the Marsh Of the
| Disseminated Soul 1t fairly swarms
with teal and coot- And see the snipe
On the sand She stood up and watch
ed the sandy strip they were nearing
the shore, but Pepi poled nearer mid
| stream.
|. She sat down again and looked at
the decoT birds. Their tinidify had in
creased into actual fear: Masanath
| reached Il soothing hand toward one
| OF them. and it took wings and flew
| The mate followed, unhesitating. The
shining distance swallowed them up.
/ "Let us leave this vicinity" Pepi
said, suiting the action to the word.
1T. is unholY." He seized the sweep
and drove the raft about, polling with
wide strokes. At that moment a cry
which was more Of hoarse whisper
broke from his lips:
"Body Of Osiris. The rivert The
rtvers'
Masanath leaned on one hand and.
looked over the side OF the raft, With
bound and shivering cry, Mari WAS
covering beside her, the little craft
tossing on the waves at the force of
the Leap. Instantly Pepi was at her
other side on his knees. praying and
shaking And together the trio hutI-
died, but only one, Masanatf1. Was,
brave enough to- watch what was hap
pening ~. ...4. .-a...- =.
1 From the bottom of the Nile t11rt1it4
convection was taking place, as if the
river silt had been stirred up, but the
turning current was assuming a dull
red tinge The action had been rapid.
Already the stain had pretIominatet4,
streaks of clear waiter only here and
there clarifying the opaque eoloring
The boat rode half it's depth In red;;.. the
Ipaddle dripped red;; the splashes of WA
ter Within On the bottom were red; the
sun shone broadly into the mirroring
red, a sliding, reekinG red. A lavender
foam broke it's bubbles against the
drifting raft and q tepid, invisible va
Ipor,, like a moist BREATH, eIhaled from
the ensanguined surface.
Schools of fish,, struggling and leap
ing, filed the space Immediately above
the water and numbered the raft with
Ia writhing mass. Numberiess croco-
diles bounded into the air, hraYingg,
snartfng, rending one another and
chlIrnilE. tsa riv.-. i.,.a. frc+h hv t!szsssss