Part 6 (2/2)

All became dark, as no doubt it would have done, but presently, that is after a lapse of a great rew again This ti not unlike a Kaffir kraal on the top of a hill

There was shouting below and eneave me a spear and a shi+eld, the latter made of hite spots on it, and pointed to the path of duty which ran down the hill I followed in coh without enthusiasiant of a man at the bottoh the stomach, which hurt me most abominably After this I retired up the hill where the woave it to another man I remember no more

Then followed a whole le the so since after all they were only of the nature of an overture, juinary, or so I suppose, having to do, all of theer and wounds and woments of the past were swept away out of my consciousness and I found ible, not too re of the real story

I, please remember always that I kneas I, Allan, and no one else, that is, the same personality or whatever it may be which makes each man different from any other man, saw myself in a chariot drawn by two horses with arched necks and driven by a charioteer who sat on a little seat in front It was a highly orna like a packing-case with a pole, or as we should call it in South Africa, a disselboom, to which the horses were harnessed In this cart I stood arrayed in flowing robes fastened round my middle by a studded belt, with strips of coloured cloth wound round eneral effect of the attire was distinctly felad to observe, however, that the I of those days was anything but feminine Indeed I could never have believed that once I was so good-looking, even over two thousand years ago I was not very tall but extremely stalwart, burly almost, with an arm that as I could observe, since it projected frooould have done no discredit to a prize-fighter, and a chest like a bull

The face also I admired very much The broas broad; the black eyes were full and proud-looking, the features soent; the mouth firm and shapely, with lips that were perhaps a trifle too thick; the hair--well, there was rather a failure in the hair, at least according to est that one of roid origin However there was lots of it, hanging down almost to the shoulders and bound about the brow by a very neat fillet of blue cloth with silver studs The colour of ht and pleasing brown such as ht add, was anywhere between five and twenty and five and thirty, perhaps nearer the latter than the former, at any rate, the very prime of life

For the rest, I held inbow of black hich see of what looked like catgut, on which was set a broad-feathered, barbed arrow

This I kept in place with the fingers ofwith strange characters carved upon the bezel

Now for the charioteer

He was black as night, black as a Sunday hat, with yellow rolling eyes set in a countenance of extraordinary ugliness and I , wide mouth with thick lips ran up the left side of his face towards an ear that was also big and projecting

His hair, that had a feather stuck in it, was real nigger wool covering a skull like a cannon ball and I should iine as hard This head, by the as set pluh it had been driven down between the enoraily-clad body beneath, which was supported by ted legs and large, flat feet, was that of a dho by the proportions of his liiant; yes, an Ethiopian dwarf

Looking through this renized that inside of it was the soul, or ani principle, of--whom do you think? None other than my beloved old servant and companion, the Hottentot Hans whose loss I had reat elephant, Jana, in Kendah Land, the elephant I could not hit, and thereby saving o back to the days of I knew not what ancient empire to do so in my trance, or whatever it was, I could have ith joy at finding hiain, especially as I knew by instinct that as he loved the Allan Quater-case, for I may as well say at once that such was my nationality in the dream

Now I looked about me and perceived that my chariot was the second of a cavalcade Ieous in which stood a person who even if I had not known it, I should have guessed to be a king, and who, as a s, at that tih what his na robe of purple silk eirdle fro the private, sacred seal; the little ”White Seal” that, as I learned afterwards, was fahout the earth

On his head was a stiff cloth cap, also purple in colour, round which was fastened a fillet of light blue stuff spotted hite The best idea that I can give of its general appearance is to liken it to a tall hat of fashi+onable shape, without a bried at the top, and surrounded by a rather sporting necktie

Really, however, it was the _kitaris_ or headdress of these monarchs worn by them alone If anyone else had put on that hat, even by mistake in the dark, well, his head would have co held a bow in his hand with an arrow set upon its string, just as I did, for ere out hunting, and as I shall have to narrate presently, lions are no respecters of persons By his side, leaning against the back of the chariot, was a tall, sharp-pointed wand of cedar ith a knob of soreen precious stone, probably an emerald, fashi+oned to the likeness of an apple This was the royal sceptre

Ireat nobles One of theolden footstool, another a parasol, furled at the moment; another a spare bow and a quiver of arrows, and another a jewelled fly-whisk , handso features; his face, however, was bad, cruel and stamped with an air of weariness, or rather, satiety, which was emphasized by the black circles beneath his fine dark eyes Moreover pride see in his bearing and glances which suggested fear He was a God who knows that he is mortal and is therefore afraid lest at any moment he may be called upon to lose his Godshi+p in his mortality

Not that he dreaded the perils of the chase; he was tooall that crowd of crawling nobles, there was not one who had a dagger ready for his back, or a phial of poison to mix with his wine or water? He with all the world in the hollow of his hand, was filled with secret terrors which as I learned since first I seemed to see him thus, fulfilled themselves at the appointed tih not by littering in his gold-wrought gar back towards me He was odious and I knew that we hated each other

”Greeting, Egyptian,” he said,his broith his sleeve for the sun was hot ”An honour for you! A great honour! The King of kings commands your presence Yes, he would speak with you with his own lips, and with that abortion of a servant of yours also Come! Come swiftly!”

”Swift as an arrow, Hou that for threeand flown no nearer to his Majesty”

”Three moons!” screeched the eunuch ”Why, ; bigger h I hear you do claim to be of royal blood yonder on the Nile

But talk not of arrows flying towards the ht earn you another honour, that of the string,” and hehis throat ”Man, leave your bow behind! Would you appear before the King arht appear before the King and he does not leave his claws and teeth behind,” I answered drily as I divested myself ofthe chariot in charge of a soldier

”Draw your sleeves over your hands,” said the eunuch ”Nonehis hands, and, dwarf, since you have no sleeves, thrust yours into your robe”