“Thank you, father. I should like it greatly,” Chebron replied in a tone of delight, for he had never before been far south of Thebes. “And may Amuba go with us?”
“Yes; I was thinking of taking him,” the high priest said. “Jethro can also go, for I take a retinue4 with me. Did I consult my own pleasure I would far rather travel without this state and ceremony; but as a functionary5 of state I must conform to the customs. And, indeed, even in Goshen it is as well always to travel in some sort of state. The people there are of a different race to ourselves. Although they have dwelt a long time in the land and conform to its customs, still they are notoriously a stubborn and obstinate6 people, and there is more trouble in getting the public works executed there than in any other part of the country.”
“I have heard of them, father. They belong to the same race as the shepherd kings who were such bitter tyrants7 to Egypt. How is it that they stayed behind when the shepherds were driven out?”
“They are of the same race, but they came not with them, and formed no part of their conquering armies. The shepherds, who, as you know, came from the land lying to the east of the Great Sea, had reigned9 here for a long time when this people came. They were relations of the Joseph who, as you have read in your history, was chief minister of Egypt.
“He came here as a slave, and was certainly brought from the country whence our oppressors came. But they say that he was not of their race, but that his forefathers10 had come into the land from a country lying far to the east; but that I know not. Suffice it he gained the confidence of the king, became his minister, and ruled wisely as far as the king was concerned, though the people have little reason to bless his memory. In his days was a terrible famine, and they say he foretold11 its coming, and that his gods gave him warning of it. So vast granaries were constructed and filled to overflowing12, and when the famine came and the people were starving the grain was served out, but in return the people had to give up their land. Thus the whole tenure13 of the land in the country was changed, and all became the property of the state, the people remaining as its tenants14 upon the land they formerly15 owned. Then it was that the state granted large tracts16 to the temples, and others to the military order, so that at present all tillers of land pay rent either to the king, the temples, or the military order.
“Thus it is that the army can always be kept up in serviceable order, dwelling17 by its tens of thousands in the cities assigned to it. Thus it is that the royal treasury18 is always kept full, and the services of the temples maintained. The step has added to the power and dignity of the nation, and has benefited the cultivators themselves by enabling vast works of irrigation to be carried out—works that could never have been accomplished19 had the land been the property of innumerable small holders20, each with his own petty interests.”
“But you said, father, that it has not been for the good of the people.”
“Nor has it in one respect, Chebron, for it has drawn21 a wide chasm22 between the aristocratic classes and the bulk of the people, who can never own land, and have no stimulus23 to exertion24.”
“But they are wholly ignorant, father. They are peasants, and nothing more.”
“I think they might be something more, Chebron, under other circumstances. However, that is not the question we are discussing. This Joseph brought his family out of the land at the east of the Great Sea, and land was given to them in Goshen, and they settled there and throve and multiplied greatly. Partly because of the remembrance of the services Joseph had rendered to the state, partly because they were a kindred people, they were held in favor as long as the shepherd kings ruled over us. But when Egypt rose and shook off the yoke25 they had groaned26 under so long, and drove the shepherds and their followers27 out of the land, this people—for they had now so grown in numbers as to be in verity28 a people—remained behind, and they have been naturally viewed with suspicion by us. They are akin3 to our late oppressors, and lying as their land does to the east, they could open the door to any fresh army of invasion.
“Happily, now that our conquests have spread so far, and the power of the people eastward29 of the Great Sea has been completely broken, this reason for distrust has died out, but Joseph’s people are still viewed unfavorably. Prejudices take long to die out among the masses, and the manner in which these people cling together, marrying only among themselves and keeping themselves apart from us, gives a certain foundation for the dislike which exists. Personally, I think the feeling is unfounded. They are industrious30 and hard-working, though they are, I own, somewhat disposed to resist authority, and there is more difficulty in obtaining the quota31 of men from Goshen for the execution of public works than from any other of the provinces of Egypt.”
“Do they differ from us in appearance, father?”
“Considerably, Chebron. They are somewhat fairer than we are, their noses are more aquiline32, and they are physically33 stronger. They do not shave their heads as we do, and they generally let the hair on their faces grow. For a long time after their settlement I believe that they worshiped their own gods, or rather their own God, but they have long adopted our religion.”
“Surely that must be wrong,” Chebron said. “Each nation has its gods, and if a people forsake34 their own gods it is not likely that other gods would care for them as they do for their own people.”
“It is a difficult question, Chebron, and one which it is best for you to leave alone at present. You will soon enter into the lower grade of the priesthood, and although if you do not pass into the upper grades you will never know the greater mysteries, you will yet learn enough to enlighten you to some extent.”
Chebron was too well trained in the respect due to a parent to ask further questions, but he renewed the subject with Amuba as they strolled in the garden together afterward35.
“I have no idea,” Amuba, who had never given the subject a thought, replied. “You are always asking puzzling questions, Chebron.”
“Well, but it must have been somehow,” Chebron insisted. “Do you suppose that any one ever saw our gods? and if not, how do people know that one has the head of a dog and another of a cat, or what they are like? Are some gods stronger than others, because all people offer sacrifices to the gods and ask for their help before going to battle? Some are beaten and some are victorious37; some win to-day and lose to-morrow. Is it that these gods are stronger one day than another, or that they do not care to help their people sometimes? Why do they not prevent their temples from being burned and their images from being thrown down? It is all very strange.”
“It is all very strange, Chebron. I was not long ago asking Jethro nearly the same question, but he could give me no answer. Why do you not ask your father. He is one of the wisest of the Egyptians.”
“I have asked my father, but he will not answer me,” Chebron said thoughtfully. “I think sometimes that it is because I have asked these questions that he does not wish me to become a high priest. I did not mean anything disrespectful to the gods. But somehow when I want to know things, and he will not answer me, I think he looks sadly, as if he was sorry at heart that he could not tell me what I want to know.”
“Have you ever asked your brother Neco?”
“Oh, Neco is different,” Chebron said with an accent almost of disdain38. “Neco gets into passions and threatens me with all sorts of things; but I can see he knows no more about it than I do, for he has a bewildered look in his face when I ask him these things, and once or twice he has put his hands to his ears and fairly run away, as if I was saying something altogether profane39 and impious against the gods.”
On the following day the high priest and his party started for Goshen. The first portion of the journey was performed by water. The craft was a large one, with a pavilion of carved wood on deck, and two masts, with great sails of many colors cunningly worked together. Persons of consequence traveling in this way were generally accompanied by at least two or three musicians playing on harps40, trumpets41, or pipes; for the Egyptians were passionately42 fond of music, and no feast was thought complete without a band to discourse43 soft music while it was going on. The instruments were of the most varied44 kinds; stringed instruments predominated, and these varied in size from tiny instruments resembling zithers to harps much larger than those used in modern times. In addition to these they had trumpets of many forms, reed instruments, cymbals45, and drums, the last-named long and narrow in shape.
Ameres, however, although not averse46 to music after the evening meal, was of too practical a character to care for it at other times. He considered that it was too often an excuse for doing nothing and thinking of nothing, and therefore dispensed47 with it except on state occasions. As they floated down the river he explained to his son the various objects which they passed; told him the manner in which the fishermen in their high boats made of wooden planks48 bound together by rushes, or in smaller crafts shaped like punts formed entirely49 of papyrus50 bound together with bands of the same plant, caught the fish; pointed51 out the entrances to the various canals, and explained the working of the gates which admitted the water; gave him the history of the various temples, towns, and villages; named the many waterfowl basking53 on the surface of the river, and told him of their habits and how they were captured by the fowlers; he pointed out the great tombs to him, and told him by whom they were built.
“The largest, my son, are monuments of pride and folly54. The greatest of the pyramids was built by a king who thought it would immortalize him; but so terrible was the labor55 that its construction inflicted56 upon the people that it caused him to be execrated57, and he was never laid in the mausoleum he had built for himself. You see our custom of judging kings after their death is not without advantages. After a king is dead the people are gathered together and the question is put to them, Has the dead monarch58 ruled well? If they reply with assenting59 shouts, he is buried in a fitting tomb which he has probably prepared for himself, or which his successor raises to him; but if the answer is that he has reigned ill, the sacred rites60 in his honor are omitted and the mausoleum he has raised stands empty forever.
“There are few, indeed, of our kings who have thus merited the execration61 of their people, for as a rule the careful manner in which they are brought up, surrounded by youths chosen for their piety62 and learning, and the fact that they, like the meanest of their subjects, are bound to respect the laws of the land, act as sufficient check upon them. But there is no doubt that the knowledge that after death they must be judged by the people exercises a wholesome63 restraint even upon the most reckless.”
“I long to see the pyramids,” Chebron said. “Are they built of brick or stone? for I have been told that their surface is so smooth and shiny that they look as if cut from a single piece.”
“They are built of vast blocks of stone, each of which employed the labor of many hundreds of men to transport from the quarries64 where they were cut.”
“Were they the work of slaves or of the people at large?”
“Vast numbers of slaves captured in war labored65 at them,” the priest replied. “But numerous as these were they were wholly insufficient66 for the work, and well-nigh half the people of Egypt were forced to leave their homes to labor at them. So great was the burden and distress67 that even now the builders of these pyramids are never spoken of save with curses; and rightly so, for what might not have been done with the same labor usefully employed! Why, the number of the canals in the country might have been doubled and the fertility of the soil vastly increased. Vast tracts might have been reclaimed68 from the marshes69 and shallow lakes, and the produce of the land might have been doubled.”
“And what splendid temples might have been raised!” Chebron said enthusiastically.
“Doubtless, my son,” the priest said quietly after a slight pause. “But though it is meet and right that the temples of the gods shall be worthy70 of them, still, as we hold that the gods love Egypt and rejoice in the prosperity of the people, I think that they might have preferred so vast an improvement as the works I speak of would have effected in the condition of the people, even to the raising of long avenues of sphinxes and gorgeous temples in their own honor.”
“Yes, one would think so,” Chebron said thoughtfully. “And yet, father, we are always taught that our highest duty is to pay honor to the gods, and that in no way can money be so well spent as in raising fresh temples and adding to the beauty of those that exist.”
“Our highest duty is assuredly to pay honor to the gods, Chebron; but how that honor can be paid most acceptably is another and deeper question which you are a great deal too young to enter upon. It will be time enough for you to do that years hence. There, do you see that temple standing71 on the right bank of the river? That is where we stop for the night. My messenger will have prepared them for our coming, and all will be in readiness for us.”
As they approached the temple they saw a number of people gathered on the great stone steps reaching down to the water’s edge, and strains of music were heard. On landing Ameres was greeted with the greatest respect by the priests all bowing to the ground, while those of inferior order knelt with their faces to the earth, and did not raise them until he had passed on. As soon as he entered the temple a procession was formed. Priests bearing sacred vessels72 and the symbols of the gods walked before him to the altar; a band of unseen musicians struck up a processional air; priestesses and maidens73, also carrying offerings and emblems74, followed Ameres. He naturally took the principal part in the sacrifice at the altar, cutting the throat of the victim, and making the offering of the parts specially set aside for the gods.
After the ceremonies were concluded the procession moved in order as far as the house of the chief priest. Here all again saluted75 Ameres, who entered, followed by his son and attendants. A banquet was already in readiness. To this Ameres sat down with the principal priests, while Chebron was conducted to the apartment prepared for him, where food from the high table was served to him. Amuba and the rest of the suit of the high priest were served in another apartment. As soon as Chebron had finished he joined Amuba.
“Let us slip away,” he said. “The feasting will go on for hours, and then there will be music far on into the night. My father will be heartily76 tired of it all; for he loves plain food, and thinks that the priests should eat none other. Still, as it would not be polite for a guest to remark upon the viands77 set before him, I know that he will go through it all. I have heard him say that it is one of the greatest trials of his position that whenever he travels people seem to think that a feast must be prepared for him; whereas I know he would rather sit down to a dish of boiled lentils and water than have the richest dishes set before him.”
“Is it going to be like this all the journey?” Amuba asked.
“Oh, no! I know that all the way down the river we shall rest at a temple, for did my father not do so the priests would regard it as a slight; but then we leave the boat and journey in chariots or bullock-carts. When we reach Goshen we shall live in a little house which my father has had constructed for him, and where we shall have no more fuss and ceremony than we do at our own farm. Then he will be occupied with the affairs of the estates and in the works of irrigation; and although we shall be with him when he journeys about, as I am to begin to learn the duties of a superintendent78, I expect we shall have plenty of time for amusement and sport.”
They strolled for an hour or two on the bank of the river, for the moon was shining brightly and many boats were passing up and down; the latter drifted with the stream, for the wind was so light that the sails were scarce filled; the former kept close to the bank, and were either propelled by long poles or towed by parties of men on the bank. When they returned to the house they listened for a time to the music, and then retired79 to their rooms. Amuba lay down upon the soft couch made of a layer of bulrushes, covered with a thick woollen cloth, and rested his head on a pillow of bulrushes which Jethro had bound up for him; for neither of the Rebu had learned to adopt the Egyptian fashion of using a stool for a pillow.
These stools were long, and somewhat curved in the middle to fit the neck. For the common people they were roughly made of wood, smoothed where the head came; but the head-stools of the wealthy were constructed of ebony, cedar80, and other scarce woods, beautifully inlaid with ivory. Amuba had made several trials of these head-stools, but had not once succeeded in going to sleep with one under his head, half an hour sufficing to cause such an aching of his neck that he was glad to take to the pillow of rushes to which he was accustomed. Indeed, to sleep upon the stool-pillows it was necessary to lie upon the side with an arm so placed as to raise the head to the exact level of the stool, and as Amuba had been accustomed to throw himself down and sleep on his back or any other position in which he first lay, for he was generally thoroughly81 tired either in hunting or by exercise of arms, he found the cramped82 and fixed83 position necessary for sleeping with a hard stool absolutely intolerable.
For a week the journey down the river continued, and then they arrived at Memphis, where they remained for some days. Ameres passed the time in ceremonial visits and in taking part in the sacrifices in the temple. Chebron and Amuba visited all the temples and public buildings, and one day went out to inspect the great pyramids attended by Jethro.
“This surpasses anything I have seen,” Jethro said as they stood at the foot of the great pyramid of Cheops. “What a wonderful structure, but what a frightful84 waste of human labor!”
“It is marvelous, indeed,” Amuba said. “What wealth and power a monarch must have had to raise such a colossal85 pile! I thought you said, Chebron, that your kings were bound by laws as well as other people. If so, how could this king have exacted such terrible toil86 and labor from his subjects as this must have cost?”
“Kings should be bound by the laws,” Chebron replied; “but there are some so powerful and haughty87 that they tyrannize over the people. Cheops was one of them. My father has been telling me that he ground down the people to build this wonderful tomb for himself. But he had his reward, for at his funeral he had to be judged by the public voice, and the public condemned88 him as a bad and tyrannous king. Therefore he was not allowed to be buried in the great tomb that he had built for himself. I know not where his remains89 rest, but this huge pyramid stands as an eternal monument of the failure of human ambition—the greatest and costliest90 tomb in the world, but without an occupant, save that Theliene, one of his queens, was buried here in a chamber91 near that destined92 for the king.”
“The people did well,” Jethro said heartily; “but they would have done better still had they risen against him and cut off his head directly they understood the labor he was setting them to do.”
On leaving Memphis one more day’s journey was made by water, and the next morning the party started by land. Ameres rode in a chariot, which was similar in form to those used for war, except that the sides were much higher, forming a sort of deep open box, against which those standing in it could rest their bodies. Amuba and Chebron traveled in a wagon93 drawn by two oxen; the rest of the party went on foot.
At the end of two days they arrived at their destination. The house was a small one compared to the great mansion94 near Thebes, but it was built on a similar plan. A high wall surrounded an inclosure of a quarter of an acre. In the center stood the house with one large apartment for general purposes, and small bedchambers opening from it on either side. The garden, although small, was kept with scrupulous95 care. Rows of fruit trees afforded a pleasant shade. In front of the house there was a small pond bordered with lilies and rushes. A Nubian slave and his wife kept everything in readiness for the owner whenever he should appear. A larger retinue of servants was unnecessary, as a cook and barber were among those who traveled in the train of Ameres. The overseer of the estate was in readiness to receive the high priest.
“I have brought my son with me,” Ameres said when the ceremonial observances and salutations were concluded. “He is going to commence his studies in irrigation, but I shall not have time at present to instruct him. I wish him to become proficient96 in outdoor exercises, and beg you to procure97 men skilled in fishing, fowling98, and hunting, so that he can amuse his unoccupied hours with sport. At Thebes he has but rare opportunities for these matters; for, excepting in the preserves, game has become well-nigh extinct, while as for fowling, there is none of it to be had in Upper Egypt, while here in the marshes birds abound99.”
The superintendent promised that suitable men should be forthcoming, one of each caste; for in Egypt men always followed the occupation of their fathers, and each branch of trade was occupied by men forming distinct castes, who married only in their own caste, worked just as their fathers had done before them, and did not dream of change or elevation100. Thus the fowler knew nothing about catching101 fish or the fishermen of fowling. Both, however, knew something about hunting; for the slaying102 of the hyenas104, that carried off the young lambs, and kids from the villages, and the great river-horses, which came out and devastated105 the fields, was a part of the business of every villager.
The country where they now were was for the most part well cultivated and watered by the canals, which were filled when the Nile was high.
A day’s journey to the north lay Lake Menzaleh—a great shallow lagoon106 which stretched away to the Great Sea, from which it was separated only by a narrow bank of sand. The canals of the Nile reached nearly to the edge of this, and when the river rose above its usual height and threatened to inundate107 the country beyond the usual limits, and to injure instead of benefiting the cultivators, great gates at the end of these canals would be opened, and the water find its way into the lagoon. There were, too, connections between some of the lower arms of the Nile and the lake, so that the water, although salt, was less so than that of the sea. The lake was the abode108 of innumerable waterfowl of all kinds, and swarmed109 also with fish.
These lakes formed a fringe along the whole of the northern coast of Egypt, and it was from these and the swampy110 land near the mouths of the Nile that the greater portion of the fowl52 and fish that formed important items in the food of the Egyptians was drawn. To the southeast lay another chain of lakes, whose water was more salt than that of the sea. It was said that in olden times these had been connected by water both with the Great Sea to the north and the Southern Sea; and even now, when the south wind blew strong and the waters of the Southern Sea were driven up the gulf111 with force, the salt water flowed into Lake Timsah, so called because it swarmed with crocodiles.
“I shall be busy for some days, to begin with,” Ameres said to his son on the evening of their arrival, “and it will therefore be a good opportunity for you to see something of the various branches of sport that are to be enjoyed in this part of Egypt. The steward112 will place men at your disposal, and you can take with you Amuba and Jethro. He will see that there are slaves to carry provisions and tents, for it will be necessary for much of your sport that you rise early, and not improbably you may have to sleep close at hand.”
In the morning Chebron had an interview with the steward, who told him that he had arranged the plan for an expedition.
“You will find little about here, my lord,” he said, “beyond such game as you would obtain near Thebes. But a day’s journey to the north you will be near the margin113 of the lake, and there you will get sport of all kinds, and can at your will fish in its waters, snare114 waterfowl, hunt the great river-horse in the swamps, or chase the hyena103 in the low bushes on the sandhills. I have ordered all to be in readiness, and in an hour the slaves with the provisions will be ready to start. The hunters of this part of the country will be of little use to you, so I have ordered one of my chief men to accompany you.
“He will see that when you arrive you obtain men skilled in the sport and acquainted with the locality and the habits of the wild creatures there. My lord your father said you would probably be away for a week, and that on your return you would from time to time have a day’s hunting in these parts. He thought that as your time will be more occupied then it were better that you should make this distant expedition to begin with.”
An hour later some twenty slaves drew up before the house, carrying on their heads provisions, tents, and other necessaries. A horse was provided for Chebron, but he decided115 that he would walk with Amuba.
“There is no advantage in going on a horse,” he said, “when you have to move at the pace of footmen, and possibly we may find something to shoot on the way.”
The leader of the party, upon hearing Chebron’s decision, told him that doubtless when they left the cultivated country, which extended but a few miles further north, game would be found. Six dogs accompanied them. Four of them were powerful animals, kept for the chase of the more formidable beasts, the hyena or lion, for although there were no lions in the flat country, they abounded116 in the broken grounds at the foot of the hills to the south. The other two were much more lightly built, and were capable of running down a deer. Dogs were held in high honor in Egypt. In some parts of the country they were held to be sacred. In all they were kept as companions and friends in the house as well as for the purposes of the chase. The season was the cold one, and the heat was so much less than they were accustomed to at Thebes—where the hills which inclosed the plain on which the city was built cut off much of the air, and seemed to reflect the sun’s rays down upon it—that the walk was a pleasant one.
Chebron and Amuba, carrying their bows, walked along, chatting gayly, at the head of the party. Jethro and Rabah the foreman came next. Then followed two slaves, leading the dogs in leashes117, ready to be slipped at a moment’s notice, while the carriers followed in the rear. Occasionally they passed through scattered118 villages, where the women came to their doors to look at the strangers, and where generally offerings of milk and fruit were made to them. The men were for the most part at work in the fields.
“They are a stout-looking race. Stronger and more bony than our own people,” Chebron remarked to the leader of the party.
“They are stubborn to deal with,” he replied. “They till their ground well, and pay their portion of the produce without grumbling119, but when any extra labor is asked of them there is sure to be trouble. It is easier to manage a thousand Egyptian peasants than a hundred of these Israelites, and if forced labor is required for the public service it is always necessary to bring down the troops before we can obtain it.
“But indeed they are hardly treated fairly, and have suffered much. They arrived in Egypt during the reign8 of Usertuen I., and had land allotted120 to them. During the reign of the king and other successors of his dynasty they were held in favor and multiplied greatly; but when the Theban dynasty succeeded that of Memphis, the kings, finding this foreign people settled here, and seeing that they were related by origin to the shepherd tribes who at various times have threatened our country from the east, and have even conquered portions of it and occupied it for long periods, regarded them with hostility121, and have treated them rather as prisoners of war than as a portion of the people. Many burdens have been laid upon them. They have had to give far more than their fair share of labor toward the public works, the making of bricks, and the erection of royal tombs and pyramids.”
“It is strange that they do not shave their heads as do our people,” Chebron said.
“But I do not,” Amuba laughed, “nor Jethro.”
“It is different with you,” Chebron replied. “You do not labor and get the dust of the soil in your hair. Besides, you do keep it cut quite short. Still, I think you would be more comfortable if you followed our fashion.”
“It is all a matter of habit,” Amuba replied. “To us, when we first came here, the sight of all the poorer people going about with their heads shaven was quite repulsive—and as for comfort, surely one’s own hair must be more comfortable than the great wigs122 that all of the better class wear.”
“They keep off the sun,” Chebron said, “when one is out of doors, and are seldom worn in the house, and then when one comes in one can wash off the dust.”
“I can wash the dust out of my hair,” Amuba said. “Still, I do think that these Israelites wear their hair inconveniently123 long; and yet the long plaits that their women wear down their back are certainly graceful124, and the women themselves are fair and comely125.”
Chebron shook his head. “They may be fair, Amuba, but I should think they would make very troublesome wives. They lack altogether the subdued126 and submissive look of our women. They would, I should say, have opinions of their own, and not be submissive to their lords; is that not so, Rabah?”
“The women, like the men, have spirit and fire,” the foreman answered, “and have much voice in all domestic matters; but I do not know that they have more than with us. They can certainly use their tongues; for at times, when soldiers have been here to take away gangs of men for public works, they have had more trouble with them than with the men. The latter are sullen127, but they know that they must submit; but the women gather at a little distance and scream curses and abuse at the troops, and sometimes even pelt128 them with stones, knowing that the soldiers will not draw weapon upon them, although not infrequently it is necessary in order to put a stop to the tumult129 to haul two or three of their leaders off to prison.”
“I thought they were viragoes,” Chebron said with a laugh. “I would rather hunt a lion than have the women of one of these villages set upon me.”
In a few miles cultivation130 became more rare; sandhills took the place of the level fields, and only here and there in the hollows were patches of cultivated ground. Rabah now ordered the slave leading the two fleet dogs to keep close up and be in readiness to slip them.
“We may see deer at any time now,” he said. “They abound in these sandy deserts which form their shelter, and yet are within easy distance of fields where when such vegetation as is here fails them they can go for food.”
A few minutes later a deer started from a clump131 of bushes. The dogs were instantly let slip and started in pursuit.
“Hurry on a hundred yards and take your position on that mound132!” Rabah exclaimed to Chebron, while at the same time he signaled to the slaves behind to stop. “The dogs know their duty, and you will see they will presently drive the stag within shot.”
Chebron called Amuba to follow him and ran forward. By the time they reached the mound the stag was far away, with the dogs laboring133 in pursuit. At present they seemed to have gained but little, if at all, upon him, and all were soon hidden from sight among the sandhills. In spite of the assurance of Rabah the lads had doubts whether the dogs would ever drive their quarry134 back to the spot where they were standing, and it was full a quarter of an hour before pursuers and pursued came in sight again. The pace had greatly fallen off, for one of the dogs was some twenty yards behind the stag; the other was out on its flank at about the same distance away, and was evidently aiding in turning it toward the spot where the boys were standing.
“We will shoot together,” Chebron said. “It will come within fifty yards of us.”
They waited until the stag was abreast135 of them. The dog on its flank had now fallen back to the side of his companion as if to leave the stag clear for the arrows of the hunters. The lads fired together just as the stag was abreast; but it was running faster than they had allowed for, and both arrows flew behind it. They uttered exclamations136 of disappointment, but before the deer had run twenty yards it gave a sudden leap into the air and fell over. Jethro had crept up and taken his post behind some bushes to the left of the clump in readiness to shoot should the others miss, and his arrow had brought the stag to the ground.
“Well done, Jethro!” Amuba shouted. “It is so long since I was out hunting that I seem to have lost my skill; but it matters not since we have brought him down.”
The dogs stood quiet beside the deer that was struggling on the ground, being too well trained to interfere137 with it. Jethro ran out and cut its throat. The others were soon standing beside it. It was of a species smaller than those to which the deer of Europe belong, with two long straight horns.
“It will make a useful addition to our fare to-night,” Rabah said, “although, perhaps, some of the other sorts are better eating.”
“Do the dogs never pull them down by themselves?” Amuba asked.
“Very seldom. These two are particularly fleet, but I doubt whether they would have caught it. These deer can run for a long time, and although they will let dogs gain upon them they can leave them if they choose. Still I have known this couple run down a deer when they could not succeed in driving it within bowshot; but they know very well they ought not to do so, for, of course, deer are of no use for food unless the animals are properly killed and the blood allowed to escape.”
Several other stags were startled, but these all escaped, the dogs being too fatigued138 with their first run to be able to keep up with them. The other dogs were therefore unloosed and allowed to range about the country. They started several hyenas, some of which they themselves killed; others they brought to bay until the lads ran up and dispatched them with their arrows, while others which took to flight in sufficient time got safely away, for the hyena, unless overtaken just at the start, can run long and swiftly and tire out heavy dogs such as those the party had with them.
After walking some fifteen miles the lads stopped suddenly on the brow of a sandhill. In front of them was a wide expanse of water bordered by a band of vegetation. Long rushes and aquatic139 plants formed a band by the water’s edge, while here and there huts with patches of cultivated ground dotted the country.
“We are at the end of our journey,” Rabah said. “These huts are chiefly inhabited by fowlers and fishermen. We will encamp at the foot of this mound. It is better for us not to go too near the margin of the water, for the air is not salubrious to those unaccustomed to it. The best hunting ground lies a few miles to our left, for there, when the river is high, floods come down through a valley which is at all times wet and marshy140. There we may expect to find game of all kinds in abundance.”
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1
sluices
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| n.水闸( sluice的名词复数 )；（用水闸控制的）水；有闸人工水道；漂洗处v.冲洗( sluice的第三人称单数 )；（指水）喷涌而出；漂净；给…安装水闸 | |
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2
fulfill
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| vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意 | |
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3
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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4
retinue
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| n.侍从；随员 | |
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5
functionary
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| n.官员；公职人员 | |
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6
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 | |
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8
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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10
forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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11
foretold
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| v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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13
tenure
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| n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期 | |
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14
tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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15
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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16
tracts
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| 大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文 | |
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17
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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18
treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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19
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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20
holders
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| 支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物 | |
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21
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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22
chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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23
stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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24
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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25
yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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26
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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27
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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verity
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| n.真实性 | |
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29
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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31
quota
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| n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额 | |
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32
aquiline
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| adj.钩状的，鹰的 | |
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33
physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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34
forsake
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| vt.遗弃，抛弃；舍弃，放弃 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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36
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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37
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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38
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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39
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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40
harps
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| abbr.harpsichord 拨弦古钢琴n.竖琴( harp的名词复数 ) | |
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41
trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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42
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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43
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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44
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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45
cymbals
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| pl.铙钹 | |
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46
averse
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| adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的 | |
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47
dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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48
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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49
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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50
papyrus
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| n.古以纸草制成之纸 | |
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51
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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52
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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53
basking
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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54
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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55
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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56
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
execrated
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| v.憎恶( execrate的过去式和过去分词 )；厌恶；诅咒；咒骂 | |
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58
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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59
assenting
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| 同意，赞成( assent的现在分词 ) | |
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60
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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61
execration
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| n.诅咒，念咒，憎恶 | |
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62
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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63
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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64
quarries
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| n.（采）石场( quarry的名词复数 )；猎物（指鸟，兽等）；方形石；（格窗等的）方形玻璃v.从采石场采得( quarry的第三人称单数 )；从（书本等中）努力发掘（资料等）；在采石场采石 | |
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65
labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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66
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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67
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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68
reclaimed
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| adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救 | |
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69
marshes
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| n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 ) | |
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70
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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71
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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72
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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73
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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74
emblems
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| n.象征，标记( emblem的名词复数 ) | |
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75
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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76
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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77
viands
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| n.食品，食物 | |
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78
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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79
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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80
cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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81
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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82
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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83
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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84
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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85
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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86
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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87
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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88
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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89
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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90
costliest
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| adj.昂贵的( costly的最高级 )；代价高的；引起困难的；造成损失的 | |
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91
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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92
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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93
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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94
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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95
scrupulous
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| adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的 | |
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96
proficient
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| adj.熟练的，精通的；n.能手，专家 | |
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97
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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98
fowling
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| 捕鸟，打鸟 | |
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99
abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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100
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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101
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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102
slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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103
hyena
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| n.土狼，鬣狗 | |
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104
hyenas
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| n.鬣狗( hyena的名词复数 ) | |
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105
devastated
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| v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的 | |
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106
lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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107
inundate
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| vt.淹没，泛滥，压倒 | |
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108
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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109
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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110
swampy
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| adj.沼泽的，湿地的 | |
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111
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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112
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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113
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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114
snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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115
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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116
abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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117
leashes
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| n.拴猎狗的皮带( leash的名词复数 ) | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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119
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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120
allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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121
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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122
wigs
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| n.假发，法官帽( wig的名词复数 ) | |
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123
inconveniently
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| ad.不方便地 | |
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124
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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125
comely
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| adj.漂亮的，合宜的 | |
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126
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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127
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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128
pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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129
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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130
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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131
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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132
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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133
laboring
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| n.劳动，操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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134
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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135
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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136
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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137
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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138
fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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139
aquatic
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| adj.水生的，水栖的 | |
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140
marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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