"Packer, it is settled then.
You will conduct him, and bring us to-morrow morning news of the wounded girl." Paaker bowed; the princess bowed her head; the priest and his companions, who meanwhile had come out of the temple and joined him, raised their hands in blessing, and the belated procession moved towards the Nile.
Paaker remained alone with his two slaves; the commission with which the princess had charged him greatly displeased him.

So long as the moonlight enabled him to distinguish the litter of Mena's wife, he gazed after it; then he endeavored to recollect the position of the hut of the paraschites.

The captain of the watch still stood with the guard at the gate of the temple.
"Do you know the dwelling of Pinem the paraschites ?" asked Paaker.
"What do you want with him ?" "That is no concern of yours," retorted Paaker.
"Lout!" exclaimed the captain, "left face and forwards, my men." "Halt!" cried Paaker in a rage.

"I am the king's chief pioneer." "Then you will all the more easily find the way back by which you came.
March." The words were followed by a peal of many-voiced laughter: the re-echoing insult so confounded Paaker that he dropped his whip on the ground.

The slave, whom a short time since he had struck with it, humbly picked it up and then followed his lord into the fore court of the temple.