THE MORNING STAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14326, 23 March 1910, Page 4

THE MORNING STAR.

. BY H. * RIDER : HAGGARD, - ' Author of " King Solomon's Mines." " She," ' "Cleopatra. " Nada the Lily." "The People of the Mißt." "Heart of the • World," " Ayesha,: or the Return of - She." "The Ghost Kings,'' "The / Yellow God." ■ " Montezuma's ; , ; Daughter," ,etc, etc. etc >/■.- v

PUBLISHED BY ' SPECIAL'' ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT. ';'- '-.",/./. . . SYNOPSIS. i : CHAPTER The story is introduced by a note from the author, who explains the ancient Egyptian belief in a "Ha" or "spiritual double," material in ! ust the same way as the body, but immortal. - Thousands of years ago, one evening, Prince Abi, Governor of Memphis, and brother of Pharaoh, sailed up to the city of Thebes on a visit to Pharaoh. Abi calls his astrologer, who predicts evil, saying the star of Amen, the greatest of all the gods, crosses his path. Next day Abi receives word that Pharaoh will accord him audience, but Abi's troops must | be left behind. •■'Royally escorted Abi passes to | the splendid temple dedicated to the Trinity of Thebes, and amidst rank upon rank of armed men, sees Pharaoh end his queen on their thrones. After the customary ceremonial welcoming Pharaoh desires to know what payment Abi desires for ably defeating certain hordes of Pharaoh's enemies. The cunning Prince, well knowing the sorrow of Pharaoh's life, desires to see the Royal children, but the Queen is childless. Abi then goes on to suggest that many dangers threaten Egypt, and that he should be taken to rule with Pharaoh, he and his sons being named as successors. Pharaoh, knowing of a plot Abi had talked over with his officers to secure the throne, sentences Abi to' detention, unless he swears a solemn oath of allegiance. Abi accepts the alternative and swears. That night, in the house of Amen, Pharaoh and his wife pray for a child. The old priest of the temple predicts that a sign will be given the Queen in her sleep. Late that night the Queen arouses Pharaoh and tells of a wonderful dream vision, in which a great Spirit appeared, and said that a daughter would be born, who would rule over Egypt, and that Neter-Tu». Morning Star, would be her name. In token thereof the Spirit placed a mark on the Queen's throat, and Pharaoh saw that it was the form of a cross. CHAPTER ll.— prophecy was fulfilled, and a daughter was born to Ahum, who was named Morning Star. Ahnra died in giving Morning Star birth, but the child flourished and grew up strangely beautiful. Almost at the same time as Morning Star was born a son was given to Asti, the wife of Mermes, who was of the blood royal from "the old line of Pharaohs. The boy and girl grew up together in the palace and became inseparable friends. CHAPTER lll.— (Continued). v So the boy lived, and throve, and Mermes and Asti, when they came to hear of these things, thanked Pharaoh and blessed him. '•Now the house of Mermes, as captain of tho guard, was within the wall of the gre.it temple of Amen, near to the palace of *b.i priestess of Amen where the Princess Neter-Tua, was nurtured. Thus it came about that when the Queen Ahura died, the lady Asti was named as nurse to the Princess, since Pharaoh said that she should drink no milk save that of one in whose veins ran royal blood. So Asti was her foster mother, and night by night she slept in her arms together with her own son, Rames. Afterwards, too, when they were weaned the babes were taught to walk and speak together, and later, ae children, they became playmates. Thus from the first these two loved each other, as brother and sister love when thay are twins. But although the boy was boU and brave, this little Princess always had the mastery of him, not became fihe was a Princess and heir to the throne of Egypt— for all the . high titles they gave her, fell idly on her ears, nor did she think anything of the bowings of courtiers and of priests— I but from somo strength within herself. [ She it was that set the games thoy played, and; when she talked he was obliged to listen, for although- she was so sound: and healthy, this Tua differed from other cmldren. Thus she had what she* called . ; vv " silent hours'* when she would euffer no one to come near her, not her ladies or her foster-mother, Asti herself, nor even Rames. Then, followed by the women at a distance, she would wander among the great columns of * the temple and study the sculptures on the walls; and since all places 1 were open to her, enter the sanctuaries, and stare at the gods ' that sat 'in them fashioned in, granite and in alabaster. ,:. This she would do even in the solemn m 'onlight when mortals were afraid to approach those sacred shrines, and come thence unconcerned and smiling. /'■// \ ■■■■■:. '.' '-■■ '■//, ; .- ; - "What do you see there, -.0 Morning Star?" asked 'little' Rames 01 her once. "They are dull things, those stone gods that have never moved since the beginning of tho world ; also they frighten me, especially when 1 Ra is set." -. . ■ "They are not dull, and ' they /do not frighten me," answered Tua, " they talk to me, and although I cannot understand oil they say, I am happy with them." ; i "Talk!" he said contemptuously,. " how can stone things talk?" .'. ' /■ ' . . ' "I do not know. I vthink it is their spirits that talk, telling me stories that happened before I was born -, and that shall happen after I am dead, yes, and after they seem to be dead. Now be silentl say that they talk to me— it is enough." /! - " For me it would be more than enough," said the boy, ■ but then. I am not called child of Amen, who only worship Menthu, God of War." < " ' ' When ; Ramea was seven years of age, every morning he was taken to school in the temple, where the priests taught him to writ© with pens of reed upon tablets ' of wood, and told-him more about the gods than he ever wanted to hear again. During these hours, except when she was being instructed by noble ladies of the' court. or by high-priestesses, Tua was left solitary, since by the command of Pharaoh. no other children were allowed to play ■ with her, perhaps because there were none in the temple of her. age whose birth was noble: Once when he came back from his school in the evening Rames asked her if she had not been lonely without him. She answered, "No," as she had another companion. • • "Who is it?" he asked jealously. /•" me and I will fight ; ( him." "No one that you can see, Rames," she replied.' "Only my own Ka." "Your Ka! I have heard of Kas, but I never saw one. What is it like?" " Just like me, except that it throws no' shadow, and only comes when I am quite by myself,' and then, although I hear 1 , it often, I see it rarely, for it is mixed up" with the light." , . . i ..,. ; j "I don't, believe in Kas," exclaimed Rames scornfully; " you make them up out of your head." • .'-■■ ■.'-- ■ A little while after this talk something happened that caused Rames to change his mind about Kas, or at any rate the; Ka of Tua. ■ In a hidden court, of the Temple was a deep pool of water with cemented j eides, where , it was said lived a « sacred ,j crocodile, an enormous beast that had dwelt there for hundreds of vears. Rames and •Tua having heard of this crocodile often talked of it and longed to see it, but could not;' for there was' a high wall round /the tank, and in it a door .of. copper that was kept locked, except when once in every eight days the priests took in food to the crocodile — goats and sheep, and sometimes a calf, none of. which ever came back again. Now one, day Rames, watching them return, saw the priest, who was called Guardian of the Door, put his hand behind him to thrust the key with which he had just locked the door, into his wallet, and missing the mouth of the wallet, let it fall upon the sand, then go upon his way knowing nothing of .what he had done. When he had cone in a creat hurry, for he was a fat old priest and the dinner hour was at hand, Rames pounced upon the key and hid it in his robe. Then he eought out the Princess and said, v : - " Morning Star, this evening, when I como back from school and am allowed to play with you, we can look at the wonderful beast in the tank, for see, I have the key which that fat priest will not search for till seven days are gone by, before which I can take-it to him, saying that I found it in the sand, or perhaps put it -back into the wallet." : - - / . - When she heard this Ttia's eyes shone, since above all things she desired to see this holy monster. But in tho evening when the' boy came running to, her eagerlyfor he had thought of nothing but the crocodile all day. and; had 1 boucrht a pigeon from a schoolfellow with which to feel the brutehe found Tua in a different mood. '■/•■"I don't think that we will go to see the holy crocodile, Rames," she: said, looking at him thoughtfully. • • - •

i" ' Why' not?" he asked amazed. "There ; is no. one about, and I have put fat upon ; the key so that ,it ": will make no noiec. ' •' I: "Because mv Ka has been with me, Barnes, and told me that it is a bad act and if we do trouble will como to us." ( I " Oh ! may the fiend Set take your Ka," 1 replied the lad in a 'rage. " Show it to me and I will talk with it." -./ >^[ ." I cannot, Barnes,, for it is me. More-1 over, if Set took it, he would take mo ako, j aud you are wicked to wish such a thing." j Now the boy/began to cry with vexation, 1 sobbing- out that she was not to be trusted, j and -that ho had paid away his bronze j knife, which Pharaoh gave him when last he visited the temple, for a pigeon to tempt the beast to the top of the water, so that they might see it, although the , knife was worth many pigeons, and Pharaoh would bo angry if ho heard that he had patted with it.. , "Why, should we take the life of a poor pigeon to please ourselves?" asked Tua, softening a little at the sight of his grief. ■ / ' ''. . I " It's taken already," he; answered. " It fluttered so that I had to eit on it to hide.it from the priest, and,when ho had gone it was dead. Look,' 31 and ho [opened the linen bag he held, and showed her the dove cold and stiff. . v ■ "As you did. not mean to kill it, that makes a difference," said Tua judicially. Well, perhaps my Ka did not mean that we should not have one peep, and it is a pity to waste the pigeon."' .' Barnes agroed that it would bo the greatest of pities, so the two children slipped away through the trees of the garden into the shadow of the Avail, along which .they; crept till they came to the bronze door. / Then guiltily enough Barnes put the great key into the lock, and with the help of li pieco of wood which he had > also made ready, that he set in the I ring of the key to act as a lever, the two of them .turning together shot back the heavy bolte. Taking out the key lest it should betray them, they opened tho door a little and squeezed themselves through into the forbidden place. , No sooner had they done so than almost they wished themselves back, for there was something about the spot that frightened them, to say nothing of the horrible smell which mado Tua feel ill. It was a great tank, with a, little artificial island in "its centre, . full of slimy water that looked almost black because of the shadow of the high walls, and round ; it ran a narrow stone path. • At one spot in this path, however, where grew some dark-looking trees and bushes, was a slope, aleo of. stone, and on the slope with its prow resting in the water a litle boat, and in the boat, oars. But of the crocodile there was nothing to be seen. "It is asleep somewhere," whispered Tua; "let us go away, I do not like this stench.", '•-.-' - ,s -■...-'.•"'•'. " Stench," answered Rames. "I smell nothing except the lilies on the water. Let us wake it up; it would be silly to co now. Surely you are not afraid, O Star." " Oh, no ! lam not afraid." answered Tua pVoudly. "Only wake it up quickly, please." / What Barnes did not add was that it would now be,impossible to retreat, as the door had closed behind them, and-there was no keyhole on its inner side. '•* So they walked round the tank, but wherever it might lurk, the sleeping crocodile refused to wake. C '"'■'-/''';' " Let us get into the boat and look for it," suggested Barnes. "Perhaps it is hiding on the island." And ,he led her to Uie stone, slope, where to her horror Tua saw the .remains of the crocodile's last meal/a sight that caused her to forget Her doubts j and jump into the boat very quickly. .Then Barnes gave. it a push and sprang, in after her, so that they. found themselves floating on ; the water Now, standing in the bow, tho boy took- an oar and paddled round the island, but still there wore no signs of the crocodile. ■>, j " I don't believe it is here at all,", ho. said recovering his courage. ' You might try the pigeon," suggested Tua. who, now that there was lese smell, felt her curiosity returning, v This was a good thought upon which Barnes acted at once, Taking the : dead dove ( from the bag ho.spread .out. its. wings' to make it look though it were alive, and threw' it into the water, exclaiming; "Arise, O Holy Crocodile !'*, •' ; /Then with fearful suddenness, whence they knew, not, that crocodile 'aroso. An awful scaly head appeared with dull ©yes,and countless ! flashing fangs, and behind the head cubit upon cubit of monstrous form. The fangs closed upon the pigeon and- everything vanished. :' , "That was the Holy Crocodile," ; said Rames abstractedly as he stared fit the boiling waters, "w'hich-has lived here during the reigns of eight Pharaohs, and perhaps longer. •, Now we have seen it." - "Yes," answered Tua, " and I never want to see it again. Get me away quick, or; I will tell your father." . Thus adjured the boy, nothing . loth, seized his oar, when suddenly the ancient crocodile, having ' swallowed the dove, thrust- up his snout immediately beneath i it and began to follow the boat. ; Now Tua screamed aloud and said something about her ;..-, = .:,, ; ~-. " Tell it to keep off the' crocodile," shouted Barnes as he worked ■ he oar furiously." Nothing can hurt a Ka. ""/■// But the crocodile would not bo kept off. On the contrary, it thrust its grey snout and one of its claws over the stern of the boat in such a fashion that Barnes could no longer work .the oar, dragging it almost under water, and snapped with its horrible jaws. > , , "Oh ! it is coming in; wo are 'going to be eaten," cried Tua. ." ' ," At that moment the boat touched the landing place and swung round, so,that its bow. where Tua was/struck the head of the crocodile; which seemed to infuriate the beast. At least, it hurled itself upon it, causing the forepart of the boat to heel, over, fill with water and - begin tosink. Then the little lad. Barnes, showed the courago that was in him. Shouting to Tua :'.:, . ■ " Get on shore, 'get on shore!" he plunged past her and smote the. huge reptile upon the head with the blade of his oar. It opened its hideous mouth, and he thrust the bar into it and held on. , "Leave go," cried Tua, as she scrambled to land., ' But Rames would not leave go, for in his brave -little. heart 'he thought that if he did, the crocodile would follow Tua and eat her. -So he clung to the handle till it was .wrenched from him. Indeed he did more, for seeing that the crocodile had bitten the wooden , blade• in two and having dropped it, was still advancing towards the slope where it was accustomed to be, fed,, he leapt into the water \ and struck it in the eye with his little fist. Feeling the pain of the blow the monster snapped at him; and catching him by the i hand began to sink back into deep water, dragging the lad after it. , (To be continued daily). ,r ,'