The Yoke: A Romance of the Days when the Lord Redeemed the Children of Israel from the Bondage of Egypt — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Yoke: A Romance of the Days when the Lord Redeemed the Children of Israel from the Bondage of Egypt
John Stuart Mill · en
At sunrise, Kenkenes drew up his horse and took counsel with himself.
By steady riding he could reach Tanis shortly, but once within the
capital of the Pharaoh, he was near to Har-hat and within reach of the
fan-bearer's potent hand. When he entered the city he must be mentally
and physically alert. He had not slept since the last daybreak, and he
was weary and heavy-headed.
Ahead of him was a squat hamlet, set on the very border of Goshen. It
was the same village that Seti had designated in his appointment with
Moses. Here he might have found a hospitable roof and a pallet of
matting, but the accompanying gratuity of curiosity and comment would
have outweighed the small advantage of a bed indoors over a bed in the
meadows.
He dismounted and, leading his horse some distance from the road, into
the fringe of water-sprouts which lined the canal, picketed him within
shade, out of view from the highway. Usually the meadow growth within
reach of the seepage from the canals was most luxuriant, and here the
flocks of the Israelites had come for sweet grass. They had kept the
underbrush down, and the herbage closely cropped. But for two months
Israel had been near Pa-Ramesu with its cattle, and the canal-borders
were again riotous with growth. The place Kenkenes came upon was most
tempting, odorous and cool. He rolled his mantle for a pillow and
flung himself into the grass, where he lay, half-buried in green, and
slept.
The April sun, hot as a torrid July noon in northern lands, discovered
the sleeper and stared into his upturned face. He flung his arm across
his eyes and slept on. Shadows fell and lengthened; the afternoon
passed, and still he slept.
Mounted couriers riding at a dead gallop, passed over the road, toward
Tanis. Following them, war-chariots thundered by with a castanet
accompaniment of jingling harness and jarring armor. Kenkenes stirred
during the tumult, but when it had receded he lay still again. Three
mounted soldiers leading a score of horses passed. The Arab in the
copse whinnied softly. A second trio of soldiers, following with a
smaller drove, heard the call from the bushes and drew up. The
foremost man spoke to another, tossed the knotted bridles to him and,
dismounting, came through the copse to the Arab. There he found the
young nobleman, sleeping.
For a moment he hesitated, but no longer. Silently he untied the
horse, led him forth, attached him with the others and speedily took
the road toward Tanis.
After these had passed the road was deserted and no more came that way.
In a little time the sun set. The wind from the north freshened and
swayed the close-standing bushes so that their branches chafed one
against another. At the sound Kenkenes, ready to wake, stirred and
opened his eyes. After a moment he sat up and looked for the Arab.
The horse was gone.