The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-04-24
CHAPTER V.
THE heir TO THE THRONE.

CHAPTER v.
THE HEIR TO THE THRONE.
- sOI was not present at the sunset
8H ! prayers in Karnak. An hour
E I before he had summoned the
- trustiest priest In the brother
hood OF ministers to Amen and bade
him conduct the ceremonies of the
evening. Then he sent to the temple
stores. put into service another boat
and was ferried over to the Libyan
suburb of Thebes. He had himself
borne In a litter to the greater palace
OF Rameses II. and asked an audience
with Meneptah.
The king was at prayers in the tenn
ole Of his father, close to the palace,
and the dusk Of twilight was settling
on the valley Of the Nile before Loi
was summoned to the council chamber.
Behind a solid panel Of carved cedar
which hedged the royal dais stood
3feneptah.
Below, with the light of the torch
wavering up and down bis robust fig
ure, was Har-hat, Meneptah's greatest
general and now the new fan bearer.
10 the kings right beside the dais,
With nand resting on the back OF
cathedra. or great chair, was the Crown
Prsnce Rameses- The old courtiers Of
she dead graIdsire visiting the court OF
afeneptah flung up their hands and
gasped when they beheld the heir to
she double crown Of Egypt They look
ed upon the old Pharaoh. renewed in
youth and strength. There were the
same narrow temples with the slopsng
brow, the same hawked nose, the same
guM lips, the same heavy eye with the
ssnoldering ember in its dushy depths.
He was TWENTY-FIVE years old now and
had proved that no alien nature had
been housed in the old Pharaoh's
shape. He had never met repulse or
sseaeat; he had never entered the pres
ence OF his peer; he had never loved;
he had never prayed. He was a sch-
5ary power who admitted Death as his
only equal and defed even him.
The other counselors were minor
members of the cabinet who had been
summoned, but expected only to hear
.and keep silence while the great pow
.ers-the king, the prince, the priest and
She fan bearer-conferred.
Lsoi entered, bowing and walking
with palsied step. At sign from the
Eaag, who had already sunk into his
throne, The old man sat
'.Ehou bringest us tidings, holy IA
ghgg'
.Eyen so, o son of Ptah."
seSay on"
The priest moved little uncomfort-
ably and glanced at the ministers
grouped in the shadows
Save for the worthy Har-hat and
CIR prince, O my king, thou hast no
need OF great council" he said
Meneptah raised his hand, and the
supernumerary ministers left the cham
Der. When they were gone Loi un.
wrapped the roll Kenkenes had brought
an6 began to read:
Te Loi. the Most High Servant Of Amen,
Lord Of Tape. the Servant Of Ra, at On,
SeHaS greeting:
The gods lend me composure to speak
SSSnay which is mine explain the lack Of
ceremony IN this writing.
Il IS not likely that thou hast forgotten
the good Queen Neferari Thermuthis' fos-
ter son-the Hebrew Moses whom she
Sound adrsft in q basket on Nilus. But.
test xhe years have driven the mem
ary OF his misdeeds from thy mind, I
ss1 again the story. Thou knowest he
was Initiated priest Of Isis. and scarce
bad The last Of tie mysteries been dis
closed 20 him ere It was seen that the
Brotherhood had taken an apostate unto
s1sS
BY ehe grace Of the gods, he interfered
"a e brawl at Pithom and killed an Egyp-
dan Before lie could be taken he fed
: 11to indian. and the secrets Of our order
were safe, for tine.
0oe by one our fellows have entered
Osiris The young who knew not have
Gced their places. Thou and I only are
asSt--a1d the Hebrew!
Ee hath returned!
TIE gods make strong our hands
agsiast him, He went away as menace.
but ae returneth as pestilence. The
demons OF Amenti are with him, and his
ksur is most propitious He hath sunk
hnass,f IN the Israelttish pool here in the
xar1h, and he viii breathe therefrom such
~apors as cay destroy Esypt-faith-
ataSe-aI,
TIE bond sple are already in ferrnent.
There was rs--tiny at Pa-Rarnesu recent
" when 300 were chosen to work the
ayar-2es. Moreover. the tasknasters are
ecrupt The commander. one Atsu by
1am@, appointed when the chief Merenra
became monarch over Bubastts. hath dis
armed the under drivers. removed the wo-
msa STom toll and restored many priv
z1eges witch are ruinous to law and order.
THa Ehoie delta Is IN commotion. The
ocuxad tribes near the Goshen country
are ag1tated: communities Of Egyptian
E0AyMErCs nave Deen won over to The f7e-
Srewss cause, and now the 1sraeltish
seneSade needs but to betray the secrets
% eetng such calamity upon Egypt as
usver be5eN a nation
Rue, brother, he Is within reach OF an
areogfng hand! Commission US. I pray
SAee. % protect the mysteries after any
xozrner that to Us seemeth good.
T>Ss,,, 4ol1 Ia s,rpent He NAV f1y again