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Updated: May 9, 2025
They turned another corner, and once more the two enemies proceeded down the treacherous wall through which Timokles had entered the room. Even as he retreated, Timokles with a last hope kept one hand pushing against this wall. But they reached the other corner, and turned, without any revelation of an opening. The leopard walked leisurely, but steadily.
He could not descend by the date palm's trunk, for that was too far from the roof to be reached by him. The palm's straight trunk shot up twenty cubits above the roof's level, and, after the manner of the date palm's growth, bore no branches, such as the doum palm has. "How did Pentaur climb?" thought Timokles. The lad passed to the other edge, where the merchant had disappeared.
"He wakes!" thought Timokles, summoning his courage for that waking. But the great cat only moved his head to a somewhat more comfortable position, and continued to sleep. Timokles repassed slowly and silently so much of the walls as was accessible to him.
At length, after morning with its heat had come, the party halted, and the slave who had carried Timokles flung him on the sand, the slave comforting himself that possibly the evil of the Christian's touch might be warded off by a symbolic eye of Horus that the pagan wore tied to his arm by a slender string. Such eyes were often used by Egyptians as amulets and ornaments.
Bound to another slave to prevent escape, Timokles traveled with the company that night, and before morning the oasis of Ammon, "Oasis Ammonia," was reached. It was a green and shady valley, several miles long and three broad, in the midst of sand-hills.
He heard the sound of bars that fastened the door securely at his back. He was alone. What building was this? He felt here and there in the dark hall. A peculiar odor floated in the heavy air. Timokles hesitated, fearing he knew not what. His eyes could not pierce the deep gloom.
The leopard had been standing, looking around half sleepily. Now his great eyes spied the lad. The beast gave a quick, purring sound of satisfaction. His tail began to sweep to and fro. His hungry eyes were eager. Timokles stood quiet. The leopard walked slowly forward. Timokles retreated, still facing the leopard. They passed down one wall. They turned, and proceeded along another.
Oh, that the priests of the false gods of Egypt had not enticed our emperor!" "Alas for him!" responded the first voice. "The Emperor Severus worshipeth the false gods of Egypt, but we serve the Lord Christ. Farewell to Egypt's gods! They shall pass, but Thou shalt endure!" "Amen," murmured the lad Timokles. "Even so! Thou art Lord of lords, and King of kings, O Christ!"
The huge ears of the goddess descended on the fore-feet, which were placed on the sides of the upright animal, as a man's arms hang by his sides when he walks, and from each of the hippopotamus' arms there descended to the level of her feet the Egyptian emblem of protection, called "Sa." As Timokles looked at those emblems of protection, a new thought grew within him.
He would never sit there again. Even in these dread moments of suspense, there flashed across Timokles' mind the memory of the saying of the martyr Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, who was sent to Rome to fight with wild beasts: "I am God's wheat; the teeth of the fierce beasts will but bruise me, that I may be changed into the fine bread of my God." It was the moment of discovery!
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