THE KING OF THE REBU.
The offer that Amuba had made through Jethro was a politic one, and he
was influenced by two motives in granting a delay of twenty-four hours
before receiving the answer. In the first place, he felt sure that his
own force would, before the conclusion of that time, be trebled in
strength, and that should the Egyptians refuse he would be able to
repel any efforts they might make to cut their way out until he would
be at the head of such a force that he could at will either storm
their positions or, as he intended, beleaguer them until starvation
forced them to surrender.
In the second place, he thought that the Egyptian answer, if given at
once, would probably be a refusal; but the time for reflection would
enable them to look their position in the face and to recognize its
hopelessness. On the one side would be certain defeat and death; on
the other their general would lead out his command intact and without
dishonor. Although he had threatened to put the garrison to the sword
in case they refused, Amuba had no intention to carry out his threat,
but on the contrary had determined that even were the Egyptians forced
to surrender by famine he would freely grant them the same terms he
now offered.
He knew the proud and haughty nature of the Egyptians, and that the
news of the massacre of a great garrison and the successful rising of
a tributary province would excite such deep feeling that sooner or
later an army would be dispatched to avenge the disaster. If, however,
the garrison left the country with their arms and standards no
disgrace would be inflicted upon the national arms, and as a tribute,
however much reduced, would still be paid, they could still regard the
Rebu as under their domination. The reduction of the tribute, indeed,
would be an almost imperceptible item in the revenue of Egypt.
Leaving Jethro in command of the beleaguering force, Amuba,
accompanied by Chebron, who had been by his side during the fighting,
and a small bodyguard, went back into the town. The news of his coming
had already spread, and the inhabitants, who had remained in their
houses in terror during the, to them, unaccountable tumult of the
night, had now poured out into the streets, the great space in front
of the palace being densely packed with people. As Amuba approached a
deafening shout of welcome was raised; the gates of the prisons had
been thrown open, and those arrested the previous day, and many others
of the principal captains of his father’s army, thronged round him and
greeted him as their king.
With difficulty a way was cleared to the gate of the royal inclosure.
Amuba, after entering, mounted the wall and addressed a few words to
the people. He told them that in defiance of all probability he had
escaped from his captivity in Egypt and had made his way back to his
native land, intent not so much on claiming his rightful position
there as of freeing them from the power of their oppressors. He
promised them that he would always respect their rights and usages,
and should endeavor to follow in the footsteps of his father. Then he
retired to the palace, where he held a council with the captains and
leading men in the city. Orders were at once issued for every man
capable of bearing arms to provide himself with some kind of weapon,
and to assemble at noon in the great square.
Lists were drawn up of all the officers of the late army still living
in the town, and when the gathering took place at noon these were
appointed to form the men into companies, to appoint sub-officers, to
see to the state of the arms, and, as far as possible, to supply
deficiencies. A larger proportion than was expected of the three
thousand men that assembled were found to be provided with weapons.
Although nominally all arms had been surrendered to the Egyptians,
great numbers of spear and arrow heads, swords, and axes had been
buried. Shafts had been hastily made for the spears, and bows used for
the purposes of the chase were now brought out to do service as
fighting weapons.
Many hundreds of spears and swords had been found in the stores at the
palace, and when these were served out most of the men had a weapon of
some sort. They were at once marched up to the Egyptian inclosure.
Those with bows and arrows were placed upon the walls; the rest were
massed near the gate in readiness to advance to the assistance of the
band within should the Egyptians make an attempt to cut their way out.
In point of numbers Amuba’s forces were now superior to those of the
Egyptians, but he was well aware that the superior arms and discipline
of the latter would enable them to make a successful sortie should
they determine to do so.
The women of the town were ordered to set to work to grind the grain
served out from the magazine in the palace, and to bake bread both for
the fighting men present and for those expected to arrive. By noon
the latter began to flock in, the contingents from the towns arriving
in regular order, while the shepherds and villagers straggled in
irregularly as the news reached them of the events of the previous
night. By evening fully ten thousand men had arrived, and as the
Egyptians had remained quiet all day Amuba had every hope that they
had decided to accept the terms he offered, and that there would be no
occasion for further fighting. The troops, however, remained under
arms all night, ready to repel an attack, and in the morning Amuba and
Jethro mounted together on to the terrace of the building from which
the parley had taken place on the previous day.
A few minutes later the Egyptian governor and a group of his officers
appeared on the opposite house.
“This is King Amuba,” Jethro said in a loud voice. “He is here to
confirm the terms offered yesterday, and to receive your answer.”
“We are ready,” the Egyptian governor said, “to retire beyond your
frontier, carrying with us our arms, standards, and valuables, it
being understood that we make no surrender whatever, but that we march
out on equal terms, holding, as we do, that we could, if we chose, cut
our way out in spite of any resistance.”
“You may hold that belief,” Amuba said (and the Egyptian was
astonished at finding that the king, as well as his general, was
capable of conversing in the Egyptian tongue); “and, indeed, knowing
and honoring the valor of the Egyptian troops, I admit it is possible
that, although with great loss, you might make your way out, but more
than that you could not do. You could not hold the country, for you
have a nation against you. It is doubtful whether you could reach the
frontier. Surely it is better, then, that you should leave with honor
and without loss.”
“As to the tribute that you offer,” the Egyptian commander said, “I
have no power to agree to any diminution of the terms imposed by the
king, and if it be his will that an army invades your country to
enforce the former terms, I, with the troops here, must march as
ordered, without imputation of having behaved treacherously.”
“That is quite understood,” Amuba said; “but I trust, my lord, that
you, having seen for yourself how poor is our country, how utterly
unable to continue to pay the tribute formerly demanded from us, which
has already impoverished us to the last degree, will represent the
same in your dispatches to the king, and will use your good offices in
obtaining his favorable consideration of our case. I can promise you
that the tribute shall be paid regularly. I regard Egypt as the
greatest power in the world, and I am most desirous to continue in
friendly relations with it, and I swear to you that it will be no
fault of mine if any complaint reach you of trouble on our part.”
Amuba’s speech was well calculated to soothe the pride of the
Egyptian. The latter was perfectly conscious, although he spoke
confidently, that it would be no easy matter for his troops to cut
their way through the narrow gateway held by the masses of the Rebu,
still less to make their way, harassed as he was, to their frontier.
If he returned with his troops intact and in good condition he could
so represent circumstances that no blame or discredit would fall upon
him; and personally he was exceedingly pleased at the prospect of the
termination of his soldiering at a post so far removed from Egypt and
civilization. He therefore agreed to the terms Amuba proposed, and
after a short parley the conditions of the evacuation of the town by
the Egyptians were arranged.
Amuba agreed to withdraw his men from the buildings that they
occupied, and also from the gate, and to place them all upon the
walls, thus saving the Egyptians the humiliation of passing through
lines of armed men, and avoiding the risk of a broil arising between
the soldiers. He at once issued the necessary orders, and the Rebu
retired to the walls, where they could defend themselves in case of
any treachery on the part of the Egyptians, and the inhabitants of the
city were all ordered back from the road leading from the entrance to
the Egyptian inclosure to the gate in the city walls. An hour later
the Egyptians drew up in order in their inclosure.
Each man carried with him food sufficient for a week’s subsistence,
and Amuba had arranged that a certain number of bullocks should be
sent forward at once to each halting-place on the way to the frontier,
and that there a herd sufficient for their subsistence during their
march to the nearest Egyptian garrison should be awaiting them. In
firm and steady order the Egyptians marched out. The images and
symbols of the gods were carried aloft, and the bearing of the
soldiers was proud and defiant, for they, too, were doubtful whether
the Rebu might not intend to make an attack upon them, the terms
granted them seeming to be almost too good to be trusted. No sooner
had the rear of the column passed out through the city gate than the
Rebu with shouts of joy flocked down from the walls, and the city gave
itself up to rejoicing.
Jethro had at once sent out messengers to see that the oxen were
collected at the points agreed upon, and to issue orders that the
population along the line of march should all retire before the
arrival of the Egyptians, who might otherwise have been tempted to
seize them and carry them off as slaves with them in their retreat.
For the next few days Amuba’s time was wholly occupied in receiving
deputations from the various towns and districts, in appointing fresh
officials, and in taking measures for the rearming of the people and
their enrolment in companies, so that the country should be in a
position to offer a desperate resistance should the Egyptians
determine to recapture it. It was certain that many months must elapse
before any force capable of undertaking their invasion could march
from Egypt; but Amuba was determined that no time should be lost in
making preparations, and he decided that something of the tactics and
discipline of the Egyptians should be introduced into the Rebu army.
He had on the very night of the surprise of the town sent on a message
to inform the girls of his success, and that neither Chebron nor
himself was hurt. Having by unremitting work got through his most
pressing business, he left Jethro, who was now formally appointed
general-in-chief, to carry on the work, and started with Chebron to
fetch the girls to his capital. But he was now obliged to travel with
a certain amount of state, and he was accompanied by twenty of the
leading men of the Rebu in chariots and by an escort of light-armed
horsemen. At each town through which he passed he was received with
rapturous greetings and hailed as king and deliverer of the nation.
Two days after starting he arrived at the little seaport, and after
receiving the usual greeting from the inhabitants and holding an
audience at which he received the principal inhabitants who came to
tender their allegiance, he made his way to the house of the Persian
merchant where he had placed the girls. As his chariot stopped at the
door the merchant appeared on the threshold and made a profound
prostration. He had until the arrival of Amuba at the town been in
entire ignorance that those who had placed the girls under his charge
were other than they seemed. He knew indeed from their ignorance of
his language that the girls were not Persians, but supposed that they
were female slaves who had been brought from a distance, with a view,
perhaps, of being presented as an offering to the king.
After a word or two with him, Amuba and Chebron entered the house and
ascended to the apartment which had been set aside for the girls. They
were standing timidly at one end of the room, and both bent profoundly
as he entered. Amuba for a moment paused in astonishment, and then
burst into a fit of laughter.
“Is this your sister, Chebron, who thus greets her old friend in such
respectful fashion? Am I myself or some one else?”
“You are King Amuba,” Mysa said, half-smiling, but with tears in her
eyes.
“That is true enough, Mysa; but I was always prince, you know. So
there is nothing very surprising in that.”
“There is a great difference,” Mysa said; “and it is only right where
there is such a difference of rank----”
“The difference of rank need not exist long, Mysa,” Amuba said,
stepping forward and taking her hand. “Chebron, who is your brother,
and like a brother to me, has given me his consent, and it rests only
with you whether you will be queen of the Rebu and Amuba’s wife. You
know that if I had not succeeded in winning a throne I should have
asked you to share my lot as an exile, and I think you would have said
yes. Surely you are not going to spoil my triumph now by saying no. If
you do I shall use my royal power in earnest and take you whether you
will or not.”
But Mysa did not say no, and six weeks later there was a royal
wedding in the capital. Amuba had at once allotted one of the largest
houses in the royal inclosure to Chebron, and to this he took Mysa
while Amuba was making the tour of his country, receiving the homage
of the people, hearing complaints, and seeing that the work of
preparation for the defense of the country was being carried on, after
which he returned to the capital. The wedding was celebrated in great
state, though it was observed that the religious ceremonies were
somewhat cut short, and that Amuba abstained from himself offering
sacrifice on the altars of the gods. The ceremony was a double one,
for at the same time Chebron was united to Ruth.
For the next year the preparations for war went on vigorously and the
Rebu army was got into a state of great efficiency. Amuba and Jethro
felt confident that it could successfully withstand any invading force
from Egypt, but, as they had hoped, Egypt made no effort to regain her
distant conquest, but was content to rank the land of the Rebu among
the list of her tributary nations and to accept the diminished
tribute.
Once prepared for war, Amuba turned his attention to the internal
affairs of the country. Many of the methods of government of Egypt
were introduced. Irrigation was carried out on a large scale and the
people were taught no longer to depend solely upon their flocks and
herds. Stone took the place of mud in the buildings of the towns,
rigorous justice was enforced throughout the land, wagons and carts
similar to those of Egypt took the place of pack animals, which had
hitherto been used for transport, improved methods of agriculture were
taught, and contentment and plenty reigned in the land.
Chebron remained Amuba’s chief minister, adviser, and friend, and
under their joint efforts the Rebu rose from the condition of a mere
settled tribe to that of a small but flourishing nation.
Another change was made, but more slowly. Soon after his ascension
Amuba assembled many of the leading men and chief priests in the
country, and explained to them the convictions held by himself and
Chebron and their wives, that there was but one God who ruled over
the world, and that this knowledge was the highest wisdom of the
Egyptians. He explained to the priests that he did not wish to
overthrow the temples or disturb the worship of the former gods, but
that he desired that the people should not remain in ignorance, but
should be taught that the gods as they worshiped them were but symbols
or images of the one great God. He said he had no thought of enforcing
his convictions upon others, but that all would be free to worship as
they pleased, and that at all times he and Chebron would be ready to
confer with those who wished to inquire into these matters.
In this matter alone Amuba met with much opposition in carrying out
his plans, and had he been less popular than he was with the people
his efforts might have cost him his throne and his life: but the Rebu
were devoted to him, and as the priests came gradually to see that the
change would not diminish their power, their opposition died away,
especially as many of the younger men were soon convinced by the
arguments of the king and his minister, and preached the new religion
with enthusiasm among the people. But it was not until many years
after that Amuba had the satisfaction of knowing that the one God was
worshiped among his people. He was well aware that the success of the
work was to no small extent due to the earnestness with which Mysa and
Ruth had labored among the wives and daughters of the nobles.
“How strangely things turn out,” Chebron said one day ten years after
their arrival in the land, when the little party who had traveled so
long together were gathered in a room in the palace. “At one time it
seemed that that unlucky shot of mine would not only bring ruin on all
connected with me but be a source of unhappiness to me to the end of
my life. Now I see that, except for the death of my father, it was the
most fortunate event of my life. But for that, I should all my life
have gone on believing in the gods of Egypt; but for that, although
you, Amuba and Jethro, might some day have made your escape, Mysa and
I would assuredly never have left Egypt, never have known anything of
the life of happiness and usefulness that we now enjoy. All this I
consider I owe to the fortunate shot that killed the Cat of Bubastes.”
THE END.