Out of the Triangle: A Story of the Far East

hat compose so much of that desert, and lit faintly, too, the areas between, wh

k, there was a movement of the sa

r person appeared. Another arose,

red spoke, slowly, in a voi

th forbidden that any one should become a Christian. But how shall we c

or his child, and the emperor took Proculus into the palace and treated him kindly, and chose a Christian nurse for Severus' boy, Caracalla. When

orshipeth the false gods of Egypt, but we serve the Lord Christ.

s. "Even so! Thou art Lord of lo

p from the rocks of the plateau behind the

ad Timokles was closely pursued. He felt, rather than heard, close behind him, the f

. The five Christians were widely scattered now. Shouts and cries ca

ied his enemy, leaping forw

y's swift leap behind. A piercing cry, as of some one in a

he voice of the run

ps. He fled on, his pursuer so near so

eamed his f

bling over the stones. He fell heavily, and in that instant's time, Timokles darted forw

side of the rock rushed the pursuer. Timokles,

savagely called

sounded farther off, and now again he ran back and came softly stealing around

ark. Timokles trembled from head to foot. He did not

ill went over Timokles, as he thoug

he side of his rock, and reached out into the dark, underneath. Timokles was perfectly quiet. The hand above him felt down the sides of the rock, waved in the darkness

d on, feeling

Timokles in his heart, as he heard the soft rubb

for a long time. Once he thought he heard

ome out, but lay there through the torrid hours, moistening his lips now

. The lad's heart was very lonely. He looked toward the northeast, and remembered his Alexandrian home-his mother, the brother with whom Timokles' whol

en thou visitedst Egypt five years ago, that thou shoulde

hungry, yet he dared eat little of the dried date

oneliness overcame his fear, and he watched more for some s

hath escaped, even as I

sta

the sleeper to scan his face. But, as Timokles stooped, he dimly saw, in the relaxed, open palm of the man's hand, a small stone of the tria

t lay at Timokles' feet! The lad

thin, plaintive cry. It was the

as driven on. He had been discovered and taken. His li

rd!" murmured the exhausted lad, as the bl

aintive cry of th

" faintly repe

gh the desert, but Timokles had fallen, helpless. A man sprang forward, and the

f all the work he might do!" grumbled the vexed voice of a dismoun

sed another, who held a torc

rted a third, from the height of his camel's bac

stian?" demanded the first, angrily gazing up

hing toward the irate speaker. The man caught the

r to the appeased rival.

one of his servants, and the cavalcade proceeded on its way. As his ca

es being carried, "I follow the maxim of Ptah-hotep: 'Treat well thy peop

Egyptian belief, he should stand before the judgment-seat of Osiris, the camel-rider fe

ind himself carried. He had expected to be killed where he fell. Th

!" Timokles' hear

since she had told him she wished he h

les' breaking heart now, "

s flung him on the sand, the slave comforting himself that possibly the evil of the Christian's touch might be warded off by a symbolic

eady to go on. The merchant, Pentaur, summoned Timokles, and with

o-night to Ammonium the oasis. Every camel-step doth lead thee farther

ked into Pen

y for his brethren. When the proconsul Saturninus invited Speratus to swear by the genius of the emperor, the proconsul promising the Christians mercy if they would do this and return to the worship of the gods, Speratus answered, 'I know of no genius of the ruler of this earth, but I serve my God who is in he

s fell. His v

, reverently, "I also wou

ng look regarded Timo

ght before the proconsul, he said to them, 'Honor our prince, and offer sacrifice to the gods.' Donata answered, 'We give to Caesar the honor that is due Caesar: but we adore and offer sacri

u not that the God who so strengthened three women that they did not s