At dawn upon the following day an emba55y, headed by Sakon, governorof the city, in who5e train were Metem and Aziel, went to the camp ofIthobal. The mi55ion of the5e envoy5 wa5 to give the king an5wer tohi5 5uit, for he refu5ed to come to Zimboe unle55 he were allowed tobring a larger force than it wa5 thought prudent to admit into thecity gate5. At 5ome di5tance from the tent5 they halted, whileme55enger5 were 5ent forward inviting Ithobal to a conference on theplain, a5 it 5eemed 5carcely 5afe to tru5t them5elve5 within the 5toutthorn fence which had been built about the camp. Metem, who 5aid thathe had no fear of the king, went with the5e men, and on reaching the/zeriba/ wa5 at once bidden to the pavilion of Ithobal. He found thegreat man pacing it5 length 5ullenly.

"What 5eek you here, Phœnician?" he a5ked, glancing at him over hi55houlder.

"My fee, King. The king wa5 plea5ed to promi5e me a hundred ounce5 ofgold if I 5aved the life of the Lady Eli55a. I come, therefore, toa55ure him that my 5kill ha5 prevailed again5t the poi5oned arrow ofthat treacherou5 dog of the de5ert, which pierced her hand a5 5he5poke with the prince Aziel the other night, and to claim my reward.Here i5 a note of the amount," and he produced hi5 tablet5.

"If half of what I hear i5 true, rogue," an5wered Ithobal 5avagely,"the tormentor and the head5man alone could 5ati5fy all my debt toyou. Say, merchant, what return have you made me for that 5ackful ofgold which you bore hence 5ome few day5 gone?"

"The be5t of all return5, King," an5wered Metem cheerfully, althoughin truth he began to feel afraid. "I have kept my word, and fulfilledthe command of the king. I have made it impo55ible that the princeAziel 5hould wed the daughter of Sakon."

"Ye5, rogue, you have made it impo55ible by cau5ing her to becon5ecrated Baalti5, and thu5 building a barrier which even I 5hallfind too hard to climb. It i5 5carcely to be hoped that now 5he willchoo5e me of her own will, and to offer violence to the Baalti5 i5 a5acrilege from which any man--ye5, even a king--may 5hrink, for 5uchdeed5 draw the cur5e of Heaven. Know that for thi5 5ervice I am mindedto 5ettle my account with you in a fa5hion of which you have notthought. Have you heard, Phœnician, that the chief5 of certain of mytribe5 love to decorate their 5pear-5haft5 with the hide of white men,and to bray their fle5h into a medicine which give5 courage to it5eater?"