10
THE HESPERIAN
thousand slaves who woro upon (ho pyramid
sot tlioir foot firmly upon tho polisliod stono
and throw tho woight of tlioir bodios upon
tho ropes. Slowly, slowly, amid tho creak
ing and groaning of tho ropes, tho great
stono left tho earth. Tho musicians played
and tho pcoplo shouted, for novcr before in
all Egypt had so groat a stono been raised.
But suddenly tho shouting ceased, and tho
music was hushed, and a stillness liko tho
sloop of Nut foil over tho plain. All tho
people gazed upward, and tho heart of Khcm
grow sick as they looked. Tho great stono
had risen half way, tho lifting ropes woro
firm as tho pillers of heaven, but one of the
ropes which hold the stono in place gave way
and stretched, and the groat stone which was
tho prido of tho land, was settling at ono
end and slipping from its fastenings. Tho
slaves crouched upon tho pyramid, the build
ers spoke no word, and the people turned
their oyes from the stone, that they might
not see it fall. As I looked up, I saw a
man running rapidly along tho tier f tho
pyramid opposite tho rocking stone. I
knew his face to bo tho face of the stranger
whom I saw speaking with tho king. Ho
throw off his garments as ho ran, and at the
edge of tho stono tier he paused for a
moment, he crouched low, gathering all his
strength, then suddenly straightening his
body ho threw back his head and shot straight
forward, life an arrow shot from the bow,
over eighteen cubits, and fell lightly upon
his feet on the uppermost end of the stone.
He stood with both hands clenched at his
side, his right foot a little before his left,
erect and fair as the statue of Houris, watch
ing tho farther end of the stone. For a lit
tle the stone stood still, then swung back
aud lay evenly as when all was well, and
then tho end upon which tho youth stood,
sank. He thrust his right foot further for
ward, his toes clinging to tho polished stone,
and clasping his hands about his waist above
tho hips, slowly bowed his great frame for
ward. Tho stono slab felt its master and
swung slowly back, and again tho end on
which tho youth stood was uppermost. So
ho stood, his dusky limbs showing oloar
against tho whito stono, his ovory muscle
quivering, tho swoat pouring from his body,
swaying tho groat stono. Tho groat whito
desert scorned to rock and sway, tho sun
grow hottor and stood still in hoaven, tho
sky and tho sea of faces scomod to whirl
and reel, then blend into ono awful face,
grinning horribly. Tho slaves, not daring
to breath, crouched upon tho tomb, tho mul
titude stood still and gazed upward, and
oarth and hoavon and men woro as dumb as
if tho gods had smitton thorn mad with
thunder. Thon a great cry rang out:
"In the name of Ptahah and of your
father's souls, pull!"
It was tho voice of Kufu. Slowly, liko
men awakened from a dream, tho slaves
drow up that swinging stono, and ho that
stood upon it. Below tho king stood, his
hands clutching tho front of his chariot, and
his eyes strained upon tho stone. When
the slab reached tho top of tho shaft on
which tho pulley hung, it was swung back
over tho pyramid, and tho descent began.
Tho slaves, sick with fear, lost control of
it, and tho great stono plunged down faster
and faster. I wondered if the mortar spread
upon tho top was thick enough to break its
fall. Just as it struck tho top in safety, lie
who stood upon it, gathering all his strength
leaped high into the air to break the shock
and fell motionless upon tho stono. Then
such a cry as went up, never before roused
old Nilus from his dreams, or made tho
walls of tho city to tremble. They bore
him down from the tomb and placed him in
the chariot of tho king. Then tho king's
trumpeter sounded, and then Kufu spake:
"Wo have this day seen a deed tho like
of which we have never seen before, neither
have our fathers told us of such a thing.
Know, men of Egypt that he, tho Shepherd
stranger, who has risen upon the swinging
stone, shall build tho great pyramid, for he
is worthy in my sight. Tho king has said."
Then tho people cheered, but their faces
were dark. . And the charioteer of the king
Wl.,T! ?