Part 11 (1/2)
Now e Then of a sudden, a certain spirit entered into , you have declared that I must die and as this is so, I will kneel to you no more who soon shall sup at the table of Osiris, and there be far greater than any king, going before him with clean hands
Is it not your law that he who is condeht to set out his case for the honour of his na, I think because he was curious to hear what I had to say ”Speak on”
”O King, although , for at the wish of your satrap I caypt as a hunter, to show you hoe of Egypt kill lions and other beasts For threeadth I was bidden to this hunt when I was about to depart totaunted by your servants, entered the reeds with my slave, and there slew a lion Then it pleased you to thrust a wager upon me which I did not wish to take, as to which of us would shoot the er as I now understand you did not ht be ht I knew that Itill you had first shot and killed the beasts or scared theainst hunter, for in the field, as before the Gods, all are equal, not as a slave against a king who is detere defeat by death We were posted and the lions came I shot at those which appeared opposite tothose that appeared opposite to you, or on your side unshot at, as is the custom of hunters My skill, or my fortune, was better than yours and I killed, whereas youat you and I shot it lest it should kill you; as could easily be proved by the arrow in its body Now you say that I must die because I have broken some laws of yours which men should be ashamed tothat pearls and gold and slaves are of no value to a dying ain That is all the story
”Yet I would add one word You Easterns have two sayings which you teach to your children; that they should learn to shoot with the bow, and to tell the truth O King, they are my last lessons to you Learn to shoot with the bohich you cannot do, and to tell the truth which you have not done Now I have spoken and am ready to die and I thank you for the patience hich you have hearddoes _not_ live for ever, I hope one day to repeat to you rave”
Now at this bold speech of asped, for never had they heard such words addressed to his Majesty The King turned red as though with shame, but made no answer, only he asked of those about hi!” they cried with one voice
”What death?” he asked again
Then his Councillors consulted together and one of them answered,
”The slowest known to our law, _death by the boat_”
Hearing this and not knoas meant, it came into my mind that I was to be turned adrift in a boat and there left to starve
”Behold the reward of good hunting!” I , because of this deed of shame I call upon you the curse of all the Gods of all the peoples Henceforth may your sleep be ever haunted by evil dreams of what shall follow the last sleep, and in the endopened hisbut a low cry of fear Then guards rushed up and seized uards led me to my chariot and thrust me into it, and with me Bes
I asked them if they would murder him also, to which the eunuch, Houman, answered No, since he had cohed Then soldiers took the horses by the bridles and led the first snatched away my bow and all our other weapons, surrounded the chariot lest we should escape So Bes and I were able to talk together in a Libyan tongue that none of them understood, even if they heard our words
”Your life is spared,” I said to hi may take you as a slave”
”Then he will take an ill slave, Master, since I swear by the Grasshopper that within a moon I will find means to kill him, and afterwards come to join you in a land where men hunt fair”
I smiled and Bes went on,
”Noish I had tiue, since perhaps you will need it in this boat of which they talk”
”Did you not say to o, Bes, that we are fools to stretch out our hands to Death until he stretches out his to us? I will not die until Ithat only this afternoon you bade me kill you rather than let you be thrown to the wild beasts?” he asked peering at me curiously