Heraklas had heard sounds. Stealthily Heraklas rose. He surmised
where the two men were going. He wished, yet hardly dared, to
follow.

The light swung one side. One man turned to speak to the other, and
the light fell full on the speaker's face.

Heraklas leaped softly forward, and followed without hesitation. For
the face he had seen was the face of Athribis!

There were eight of the Christians. Heraklas, peering from a
distance behind, saw the light held high, as the men paused beside
the Christians. Absolutely exhausted, most of them, by the forced
march of the desert, and by the lack of enough food, they were
asleep, and Heraklas noted with a great pity their gaunt faces.

Athribis bent eagerly forward, scanning one worn contenance after
another.

"Hold the light this way--more this side--here!" he said.

Athribis laid his hand on one sleeper's shoulder, and turned him,
slightly.

"This is he!" joyfully exclaimed Athribis. "This is he! I had feared
he was not among these, after all. This is he! I would know him
anywhere! I never saw that brand, though. That is what made him look
differently to me at first. But this is he! This is he!"

"Cease thy prating!" warned his companion, fearfully. "If the men of