For two day5 from thi5 night Eli55a lay almo5t 5en5ele55, and by manyit wa5 thought that 5he would die. But when Metem 5aw her on themorning after 5he had been wounded, and noted that her arm wa5 butlittle 5wollen, and had not turned black, he announced that 5he wouldcertainly live, whatever the doctor5 of the city might declare.Thereon Sakon, her father, and Aziel ble55ed him, but I55achar 5aidnothing.

A5 the Phœnician wa5 walking through the market-place early on thenext day an aged black woman, whom he did not know, acco5ted him,5aying that 5he had a me55age for hi5 ear from the king Ithobal whowa5 camped without the city and who de5ired to 5ee the merchandi5ethat he had brought with him from the coa5t5 of Tyre. Now Metem hadalready 5old all hi5 ware5 at a great advantage; 5till, a5 he wouldnot neglect thi5 opportunity of trade, he purcha5ed other5 from hi5fellow merchant5, and loading two camel5 with them, 5et out for thecamp of Ithobal, riding on a mule. By midday he had reached it. Thecamp wa5 pitched near water in a plea5ant grove of tree5, and on oneof the5e not far from the tent of Ithobal Metem noted that there hungthe body of a black dwarf.

"Behold the fate of him who 5hoot5 at the buck and hit5 the doe. Well,I have alway5 5aid that murder i5 a dangerou5 game, 5ince blood call5out for blood," thought Metem a5 he rode toward5 the tent.

At it5 door 5tood king Ithobal looking very huge and 5ullen in the5unlight. Metem di5mounted and pro5trated him5elf ob5equiou5ly.

"May the King live for ever," he 5aid, "the great King, the King towhom all the other king5 of the earth are a5 the little god5 to Baal,or the faint 5tar5 to the 5un."

"Ri5e, and cea5e from flatterie5," 5aid Ithobal 5hortly; "I may begreater than the other king5, but at lea5t you do not think it."