The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-08-21


yond oveTtaking in pursuit Of his love.
Though worshiper Of Israels God,
Kenkenes was still Egyptian in his in
stincts The man who had died to
save Rachel he could not bury uncof-
fined in grave Of sand, where the
natural processes of dissolution would
destroy him utterly. His and Rache1's
debts to Atsu We're great, and the de-
mand was made upon him now to dis
charge all taat was possible in the
one act of caring for the dead soldiers
remains. Kenkenes could not bear the
body back to the group be had left
about the king. for he had mission
which concerned all the living who
i were dear to him. Furthermore, the
sky was threatening, the desert was
terrible place during high winds, and
! he dared not delay.
/, Suddenly a thought struck him.
! Travellers and seafaring men had told
HIM that there were settlements along
the Red sea. Might he not go forward
on his way after Israel till he found
one Of these?
He led the largest horse past the
dead servitors and, persuading it to
stand, lifted the body Of Atsu upon its
back. With difficulty he mounted and,
j supporting the limp burden with one
! arm, turned again toward the south
; east.
/ AS he went forward Kenkenes medi-
tated on the signs Of this recent and
tragic event. He had searched through
! out the length and breadth Of Goshen
| for Rachel and none had seen her or
! heard of her since she had fed from
Har-hat into the desert, eight months
! before he had seen her last Israel
was more ignorant Of the whereabouts
/ of Rachel than he He could not tell
whether Har-hat knew where she was,
/ nor could he guess from the position
Of the fighters in which direction the
servants had meant to ride. The
tracks Of their horses were not to be
! discovered in the great trampled road
way Israel had made.
OF this thing Kenkenes was sure. II
Rachel were with Israel she had joined
it after he had left Goshen. In that
case he was going to her to ask after
her safety when he inquired after all
Israel. If she were still in Egypt he
would stop Har-hat's search forever.
This recollection added to his determi-
| nation and intensified his ZEAL
At the beginning of the great fields
! Of sea grass be came upon little ham,
let. It was a considerable distance in
land, and the chief industry Of the peo-
pie could have been only the gathering
Of sedge for hay or the curing Of herb
and root for medicines Some Of the
villagers were in sight, but. the most of
them were out in the direction Of the
| lakes "a boring iG the marsh grass
II tbe oo<;Tse q tl1.- past years
events Iza1sSeues bad learned 70 be a
/, cautioas aad Sliifful fugitive. fie did
aot care 70 be caught ard taxed With
/ TIE dearn OF the man whose body he
| bore. The village shrine was the struc-
| ture nearest to him. 1t was built Of
sun dried brick, with three walls, the
fourth side open to the sunrise. Ken
kenes dismounted and reconnoitered-
The shrine was empty, and none OF the
| villagers was near.
! He lifted the dead man from the
horse and bore the body into the sane
! tuary. Before the image of Ataor was
a long table overlaid with a slab of
red sandstone Here the offerings were
left and here Kenkenes laid Atsu, q
true sacrifice to the love deity. Rever-
emily the young man closed the eyes
and Strengthened the chilling limbs.
Going into his pauimony Of jewels
sewn in his belt. be took an emerald
and, putting it in the hands. crossed
| them above the breast Then he laid
his mantle over the bier.
At the threshold he found soft
stone, and with that he wrote upon the
head Of the long table the name Of the
dead man and Mendes, his native city.
Under this be wrote further to the vii
layers, charging them, in the name OF
| the goddess. to care for the body rev
erently and return it to the tomb or
Atsu's fathers. Having made note OF
the emerald as remuneration for their
labors, be completed the inscription
without signature.
Thus ne insured the safety and pres
eryation of the bones Of Atsu, and In
the eye Of the average Egyptian he
had served tie soldier we'll. But Ken
kenes was not satisfied.
AS he left the shrine he muttered
with trembling lips:
Bless him! The fate is not kind
which YIELDS to such goodness no re
yard save gratitude. There must be,
because Of the great Gods business,
some especial blessing laid up for
Atsu.''
In the time he had spent in the sane
tuary the atmosphere had grown hazy,
and the sun shone obscurely. 10 the
east were tumbled and darkenins
masses, which gathered even as he
looked and Joined till they stretched
.. .o4 oaIj ,,p;Jl,,uipo5 Cuopr, QhOI1t