The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient EgyptHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
History
The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction; Egypt -- History -- To 332 B.C. -- Fiction
“That is quite understood,” Amuba said; “but I trust, my lord, that
you, having seen for yourself how poor is our country, how utterly
unable to continue to pay the tribute formerly demanded from us, which
has already impoverished us to the last degree, will represent the
same in your dispatches to the king, and will use your good offices in
obtaining his favorable consideration of our case. I can promise you
that the tribute shall be paid regularly. I regard Egypt as the
greatest power in the world, and I am most desirous to continue in
friendly relations with it, and I swear to you that it will be no
fault of mine if any complaint reach you of trouble on our part.”
Amuba’s speech was well calculated to soothe the pride of the
Egyptian. The latter was perfectly conscious, although he spoke
confidently, that it would be no easy matter for his troops to cut
their way through the narrow gateway held by the masses of the Rebu,
still less to make their way, harassed as he was, to their frontier.
If he returned with his troops intact and in good condition he could
so represent circumstances that no blame or discredit would fall upon
him; and personally he was exceedingly pleased at the prospect of the
termination of his soldiering at a post so far removed from Egypt and
civilization. He therefore agreed to the terms Amuba proposed, and
after a short parley the conditions of the evacuation of the town by
the Egyptians were arranged.
Amuba agreed to withdraw his men from the buildings that they
occupied, and also from the gate, and to place them all upon the
walls, thus saving the Egyptians the humiliation of passing through
lines of armed men, and avoiding the risk of a broil arising between
the soldiers. He at once issued the necessary orders, and the Rebu
retired to the walls, where they could defend themselves in case of
any treachery on the part of the Egyptians, and the inhabitants of the
city were all ordered back from the road leading from the entrance to
the Egyptian inclosure to the gate in the city walls. An hour later
the Egyptians drew up in order in their inclosure.
Each man carried with him food sufficient for a week’s subsistence,
and Amuba had arranged that a certain number of bullocks should be
sent forward at once to each halting-place on the way to the frontier,
and that there a herd sufficient for their subsistence during their
march to the nearest Egyptian garrison should be awaiting them. In
firm and steady order the Egyptians marched out. The images and
symbols of the gods were carried aloft, and the bearing of the
soldiers was proud and defiant, for they, too, were doubtful whether
the Rebu might not intend to make an attack upon them, the terms
granted them seeming to be almost too good to be trusted. No sooner
had the rear of the column passed out through the city gate than the
Rebu with shouts of joy flocked down from the walls, and the city gave
itself up to rejoicing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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