together with the sumpter beasts, since horses broken to the saddle
were hard to come by in Egypt where they were trained to draw
chariots. These we took, sending back my thanks to the King, and
started on once more, Bes leading that beast which bore the gold and
the hunters serving as a guard.

Indeed I was glad to see the last of those Easterns although they had
brought us safely and treated us well, for all the while I was never
sure but that they had some orders to lead us into a trap, or perhaps
to make away with us in our sleep and take back the gold and the
priceless, rose-hued pearls, any two of which were worth it all. But
such was not their command nor did they dare to steal them on their
own account, since then, even if they escaped the vengeance of the
King, their wives and all their families would have paid the price.



Now we entered Egypt near the Salt Lakes that are not far from the
head of the Gulf, crossing the canal that the old Pharaohs had dug,
which proved easy for it was silted up. Before we reached it we found
some peasant folk labouring in their gardens and I heard one of them
call to another,

"Here come more of the Easterns. What is toward, think you,
neighbour?"

"I do not know," answered the other, "but when I passed down the canal
this morning, I saw a body of the Great King's guards gathering from
the fort. Doubtless it is to meet these men of whose coming the other
two who went by fifty hours ago, have warned the officers."