Part 9 (1/2)

”What! Do you live, Egyptian?” he asked ”Of a surety I thought that by now you would be dead”

”It was the lion that died, O King,” I answered, pointing to Bes who, having ceased fro the beast's tail in his yptian has killed a lion,” said the King to one of his lords, him of the painted face and scented hair

”May be please the King,” he answered, bowing, ”a tail is not the whole beast anddead already The King knows that the Egyptians are great liars”

So he spoke because he was jealous of the deed

”These h they hadour blood-stained shapes ”Still, as you doubt it, you ish to put the matter to the proof Therefore, Cousin, take six round it will be easy to follow their footan the prince, for such he was, no less

”And therefore the task will be the more to your taste, Cousin Go now, and be swift”

So six hunters were called and the prince went, cursing me beneath his breath as he passed us For he was terribly afraid, and with reason

Suddenly Bes ceased fro hi This noble lord throws doubt upon my master's word

Suffer that I may lead hi in those reeds the great King's cousin rieved”

”I have o if you wish, Dwarf”

So Bes ran after the prince and catching him up, tapped him on the shoulder with the lion's tail to point out the way Then they vanished into the reeds and I went to the chariot to wash off the blood from my body and clothes As I fastened , then one screarew still Now I drew near to the reeds and stood between thee appeared Bes dancing and singing as before, but this time he held a lion's tail in either hand After hi between theered with it towards the King, and I followed

”I see the dwarf,” he said ”I see the dead lion and I see the hunters

But where is s,” replied Bes, ”the hty prince your cousin lies flat yonder beneath the body of that lion's wife She sprang upon hi upon her and killed her with s”

”Is this true?” he asked of the hunters

”It is true, O King,” answered their captain ”The lioness, which ounded, leapt upon the prince, choosing hih he was behind us all Then this dwarf leapt upon the lioness, being behind the prince and nearest to hih her shoulders to her heart

So we brought the first lion as the King commanded us, since we could carry no e

”Seven of my people and one black dwarf!” he exclaimed ”Yet the lioness kills my cousin and the dwarf kills the lioness Such is the tale that will go to Egypt concerning the hunters of the King of the world Seize those men, Guards, and let them be fed to the wild beasts in the palace dens”

At once the unfortunates were seized and led away Then the King called Bes to hiold chain he wore about his neck, threw it over his head, thereby, though I knew nothing of it at the ti upon him some noble rank Next he called to me and said,

”It would seem that you are skilled in the use of the bow and in the hunting of lions, Egyptian Therefore I will honour you, for this afternoon your chariot shall drive with my chariot, and ill hunt side by side Moreover, I will lay you a wager as to which of us will kill the most lions, for know, Shabaka, that I also a the , it is of little use forthat I have met men who can shoot better than I do, or, since in the East allliars as the dead prince said we Egyptians are, one man”