Out of the Triangle: A Story of the Far East

gh one of the stre

ur eyes to the ground! Kee

basket, walked in procession through the Alexandrian s

d and called aloud their admonitions through this city; though of late years men had come to kn

eps of the portico, and proclaimed his invitation: "All ye who are clean of hands and pure of he

d bent his eyes downward, deeming himself unworthy of the sight. And now, as the crier's invitation rang f

the broad street that led to the Gate

the lake's side contrasted with the burning whiteness of the desert beyond. The glaring sand shimmered in the heat of the flaming Egyptian sun. A thin, vapory mist seemed to move above the h

the west and southwest. Then Heraklas, helpless in his misery, raised his hands with the palms outward before him, after the custom of an Egyptian in prayer,

is form, . . thou art watching when at rest; the father of all fathers a

himmering desert came the memory of his brother's face, and

, had died. Timokles had forsaken the gods of his own family, the gods his own dead father had adored, Egypt's gods. The lad would not even worship the gods of Rome. Timokles had become one of the Christians, and had, in consequence, been fal

broad on the evil errand,-was dragged away to exile, for was he not a Christian? Living or dead, the desert held him. The Roman emperor,

now, with a low sob, as the desert swam b

the leaves not far away

the honor due the bird as sacred to the god Thoth, the Egyptian deity of letters and of the moon, made a gesture of semi-reverence. He remembered what

me he had found 'the truth' O Timokles, is thy 'tr

tears. Little did the lad, reared in a pagan home, know of the swe

an Egyptian toy, the figure of a man kneading dough. The man would work, if a string were pulled, but Cocce had thrown the toy aside. Lower and lower sank the small, brown head, more and

stone captive against which she leaned. Heraklas marked how the captive was represented to bend beneath the

wo of which stirred faintly under the slight wind that came from a corridor, whither the wooden wind-sails,-sloping

to Heraklas to come certain new, half-heard noises.

moving in the distance, Heraklas summoned the man, an

umbly replied the slave, whose name was Athribis; and Heraklas, s

f Isis; he, who had caught some sight of the Mysteries sacred to that goddess; he, who had worn the harsh linen robe and those symbolic robes in which a novice watches h

y. Athribis himself hated the Christians. He longed to be out in Alexandria's streets this moment, that he, too, might be at liberty to pillage the Christians' houses. Who knew what je

of sight of the court. He thr

?" asked another sl

glibly replied Athribis; and, passing, he

h himself, as he wound hither and thither through the excited crowds. "Sh

dwelling of a Christian. It was easily taken, and Athribis rushed with the company into the in

fiercely muttered one man. "We will r

k into the halls. Some of the rude company, rushing to the flat roof of the building, discovered there, hidden by a wind-sail, a treasure-box, as was at

ied voices from the court.

t the Christian family had indeed been d

crolls must be of some worth. He could not read, but perhaps something of value might be secretly hidden inside each of these scrolls. Who knew? It must be! It seemed inc

other men. He snatched up the rolls, and having

voice in the court. "Yea, I have s

the other a boy a little younger. They had broken the emperor's decree. The father did not deny the

n earth come to a close. Let us sing our twiligh

tones trembled a little at first, but soon grew firm, as if sustained by the calmness with which the parents sang. The angry faces

wn, And before the evening light We seek thee, Father, Son And Holy Spirit of God. Thou art worthy to be fore

longer, Athribis ran out of the house, and hastened hom

as Athribis, forgetful, in his excitement, of the excuse h

ickly answered Ath

he threshold would not believe in that excuse, lentiles being plentiful enough. Terror had robbed Athribis' deceitful tongue of its usual cunning, a

lls which he had hidden in his garment, but he

ibis redoubled his zeal: He recogn

hated the Christians, even as I hate them! I was gone but a moment! Surely she cannot know! If I find trea

ver his work, and dared not lift his eyes. She did not stop! And Athri

the stately figure disappeared among the columns. "Is

rept out of the little chamber on the roof where the slaves wer

the roof. The wind blew somewhat, but it did not cool the fever of excitement fe

he heart of the scroll, as he held his face down that he might see. He unrolled the papyrus to the end. He sat up, and drew a breath. His bare feet kicked viciously at the unrolled papyrus. No treasure in that first scroll! He

ians! What ch

be something hidden! It could not be possible that he would be disappointed in the last scroll! Was there no tr

and the stick on which the scroll had been rolled! His limp hand let fall the end of the papyrus. It

e that pierced the nigh

woman's tones. "A

the long streamers, and as Athribis in fearful haste snatched them, the breeze blew one scroll entirely

by the cry of the woman. With his bare, silent feet, Athribis sped through the shadows of the corridors to w

alm-tree, swayed the papyrus, the written cop