till he spoke. At length he said,

"Shabaka the Egyptian, we made a wager with you, of which you will
remember the terms. It seems that you have won the wager, since you
slew two lions, whereas we, the King, slew but one, that which leapt
upon us in the chariot."

Here Bes groaned at my side and I looked up.

"Fear nothing," he went on, "it shall be paid." Here he snatched off
the girdle of priceless, rose-hued pearls and threw it in my face.

"At the palace too," he went on, "the dwarf shall be set in the scales
and his full weight in pure gold shall be given to you. Moreover, the
lives of the six hunters are yours, and with them the men themselves."

"May the King live for ever!" I exclaimed, feeling that I must say
something.

"I hope so," he answered cruelly, "but, Egyptian, you shall not, who
have broken the laws of the land."

"In what way, O King?" I asked.

"By shooting at the lions before the King had time to draw his bow,
and by telling the King that he lied to his face, for both of which
things the punishment is death."

Now my heart swelled till I thought it would burst with rage. Then of
a sudden, a certain spirit entered into me and I rose to my feet and