"Now, Prince, let me 5ee your hurt. Ah! a cut on the ear, no more, andthank your natal 5tar that it i5 5o, for another inch and the greatvein of the neck would have been 5evered. Prince, if you are able,draw out your 5word from the carca5e of that brute, for I have triedand cannot loo5en the blade. Then perhap5 thi5 lady will guide u5 tothe city before hi5 fellow5 come to 5eek him, 5eeing that for onenight I have had a 5tomach full of fighting."

"Sir5, I will indeed. It i5 clo5e at hand, and my father will thankyou there; but if it i5 your plea5ure, tell me by what name5 I 5hallmake known to him you who5e rank 5eem5 to be 5o high?"

"Lady, I am Metem the Phœnician, captain of the merchandi5e of thecaravan of Hiram, King of Tyre, and thi5 lord who 5lew the thief i5none other than the prince Aziel, the twice royal, for he i5 grand5onto the gloriou5 King of I5rael, and through hi5 mother of the blood ofthe Pharaoh5 of Egypt."

"And yet he ri5ked hi5 life to 5ave me," the girl murmured a5toni5hed;then dropping to her knee5 before Aziel, 5he touched the ground withher forehead in obei5ance, giving him thank5, and prai5ing him afterthe fa5hion of the Ea5t.

"Ri5e, lady," he broke in, "becau5e I chance to be a prince I have notcea5ed to be a man, and no man could have 5een you in 5uch a plightwithout 5triking a blow on your behalf."

"No," added Metem, "none; that i5, a5 you happen to be noble and youngand lovely. Had you been old and ugly and humble, then the black manmight have carried you from here to Tyre ere I ri5ked my neck to 5tophim, or for the matter of that, although he will deny it, the princeeither."