The prince became gloomy, though he did not lose courage. The priest, drawing from under his mantle a little green flask, said,-- "Here is an elixir. It should last thee a number of days. Whenever thou art afraid, or feel drowsy, drink a drop. In that way thou wilt be strengthened and endure." "But thou, and the others?" "My fate is in the hands of the One. As to the rest of the people, they are not heirs to the throne of Egypt." "I do not wish this liquid!" cried the prince, pushing away the little bottle. "Thou must take it!" said Pentuer. "Remember that the Egyptian people have fixed their hopes on thee. Remember that on thee is their blessing." The black cloud had covered half the sky, and the hot wind blew with such force that the prince and priest had to go to the foot of the cliff. "The Egyptian people--their blessing?" repeated Rameses. All at once he called out,-- "Was it thou who conversed with me a year ago in the garden? That was immediately after the manœuvres--" "That same day, when thou hadst compassion on the man who hanged himself through despair because his canal was destroyed," answered the priest. "Thou didst save my house and the Jewess Sarah from the rabble who wished to stone her." "I did," said Pentuer. "And soon after thou didst free the innocent laborers from prison, and didst not permit Dagon to torture thy people with new tribute." "For this people," continued the priest in a louder voice, "for the compassion which thou hast always shown them I bless thee again to-day. Perhaps thou art the only one who will be saved here, but remember that the oppressed people of Egypt will save thee, they who look to thee for redemption." Hereupon it grew dark; from the south came a shower of hot sand, and such a mighty wind rose that it threw down a horse that was standing in the open. The Asiatics and the Libyan prisoners all woke, but each man merely pressed up to the cliff more closely, and possessed by great fear remained silent. In nature something dreadful was happening. Night covered the earth, and through the sky black or ruddy clouds of sand rushed with mad impetus. It seemed as though all the sand of the desert, now alive, had sprung up and was flying to some place with the speed of a stone whirled from the sling of a warrior. The heat was like that in a bath: on the hands and feet the skin burst, the tongue dried, breath produced a pricking in the breast. The fine grains of sand burnt like fire sparks. Pentuer forced the bottle to the prince's lips. Rameses drank a couple of drops and felt a marvellous change: the pain and heat ceased to torment him; his thought regained freedom. "And this may last a couple of days?" asked he. "It may last four," replied Pentuer. "But ye sages, favorites of the gods, have ye no means of saving people from such a tempest?" The priest thought awhile, and answered,-- "In the world there is only one sage who can struggle with evil spirits. But he is not here."